National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has resumed its investigation against the officials of Cantonment Board Faisal (CBF), Business Recorder learnt here the other day. According to sources, the bureau had detected a fraud to the tune of Rs 400 million approximately in the financial ledgers of CBF in 2003 but the case made little progress during last nine years, due to unknown reasons. Now, NAB has resumed its investigation and asked the residents of CBF to provide material evidence against the officials of CBF, they said.
The sources said the scam was unearthed in 2003 on a complaint that alleged that officials in CBF were involved in embezzlement. Consequently, the investigation was initiated against these officials. The sources further said the inhabitants of cantonment during 1998 to 2003 period used to pay their property, water and conservancy charges in cash.
Therefore, these accused officers during this period collected actual levy from the inhabitants but deposited only 10 percent of it in the kitty. Subsequently, they also manipulated the financial accounts of CBF in accordance with the deposited amount to conceal their embezzlement. Sources in NAB revealed that the bureau has found serious discrepancies in the financial ledgers of CBF during the said period. They said the modus operandi of this scam was that these officers after issuing manual receipt of actual paid amount deposited only 10 percent of it in CBF's account and declared the same in office copy.
They said that NAB has summoned the inhabitants of CBF to get material evidences in this scam and added that the involvement of CBF's bigwigs could not be ruled out; investigation was underway to take the responsible to task. When contacted, spokesperson of NAB, confirmed that the bureau had initiated investigation against the officials in Cantonment Board Faisal. She was not sure about the actual amount involved in this scam, saying that it must be in millions as the NAB was investigating this case since 2003.