July 2, 2003	Wednesday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 1,1424

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DERA GHAZI KHAN, July 1: The National Accountability Bureau has sought record of the Choti Zaireen branch of the Zarai Taraqiati Bank of Pakistan in connection with the investigations into Rs250 million embezzlement.

The bureau has asked the authorities concerned to submit four years’ monthly operation reports besides record of the correspondence between Dera Ghazi Khan regional office and Choti Zaireen branch of the bank.

Sources said some influential people of the area, with the alleged abetment of branch manager Ahmed Ali Khosa, took out loan in the name of their tenants and landless farmers during 1999 to 2002.

Regular audits were also held during the period besides the quarterly inspections of the branch record but the embezzlement could not be deducted.

The mobile credit officers of the then agricultural development bank of Pakistan’s Choti Zaireen branch, in order to save their skin, asked manager Ahmad Ali Khosa to take the responsibility of the embezzled amount.

In the presence of the then regional manager of the bank, Mr Khosa had written a statement that he would return the embezzled amount in June 2002. He left the country before June without paying the amount.

Subsequently, the bank declared tenants and landless farmers defaulters. They approached the NAB and revealed the scam.