LAHORE, Jan 18: Ravi Town Nazim Amir Munir has managed to escape to Dubai, it is learnt here. Sources told Dawn on Tuesday that the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment had stopped raids for his arrest after learning about his escape.

The ACE had conducted over 30 raids in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad for Amir's arrest since he was declared absconder by an anti-corruption court about a month ago. The sources said a close friend of the Nazim informed the ACE that he had managed to leave the country for Dubai and was residing with his friends.

They said the accused left the country after being ditched by his political god-fathers. He had also approached several government officials to save him from the clutches of the ACE, but to no avail, they added.

Meanwhile, an anti-corruption court has declared Amir Munir a proclaimed offender after the expiry of his third summon. The ACE has moved court for confiscation of his property.

ACE chief Aslam Ghumman told this reporter that the establishment would also check the properties of the accused Nazim's relatives to verify whether he had bought any in their names.

"After being declared PO, the Nazim is liable to undergo imprisonment of at least three years," Mr Ghuman said. He, however, denied that the accused had left the country.

The town Nazim is charged with embezzlement of development funds totalling over Rs44 million. He had embezzled funds in the award of streetlight contracts, leasing out contract of tax collection on transfer of immovable property for 2004-05, unauthorized collection in building plan fee, and incurred qualitative loss to the government exchequer in over 200 developing schemes.

Besides, he used to deduct amount from the salaries of the work-charge employees. Six town officials, three of them still absconding, have already been booked under sections 420, 468, 471, 409 and 218 of the PPC for their involvement in the case.

The Nazim has also been nominated in another FIR for a fraud of Rs4 million in a streetlight contract. He absconded an anti-corruption court in the third week of December after his interim bail was cancelled.

District Nazim Mian Amer Mahmood has already appointed Mian Talat Ahmad coordinator to the Nazim. However, he said, the replacement of the town Nazim would be made in a democratic way.

The seat of the town Nazim has yet to be declared vacant by the authorities concerned. The ACE, in the meantime, has also begun investigation against some of the Allama Iqbal Town officials on complaints of corruption. An ACE spokesman said it would initiate action only after gathering enough evidence.