LAKKI MARWAT, July 4: The anti-corruption establishment (ACE), Lakki Marwat, has unearthed a massive financial scam in Naurang tehsil municipal administration exposing involvement of some big fish of the civic body in it.

An official said on Monday a huge amount of over Rs15.9 million had been embezzled in the name of fake office-bearers of project committees and citizen community boards in 2008-09.

He said some former influential bigwigs of the municipal body formed fake and fictitious project committees and citizen community boards to misappropriate millions of rupees meant for developmental works.

“The amount was drawn from the bank accounts through cheques reportedly in the name of fictitious office-bearers of these project committees and CCBs”, the official said , adding, it was a mega financial scandal of its nature in the history of the district.

The ACE has registered a case in this regard under relevant section of law and according to it a former nazim Mohammad Bashir, former TMO Abdul Ghaffar, ex-TOF Balqias and other officials were involved in the scam”, he said.

During an open inquiry the ACE officials found that the former Naurang TMA authorities drew an amount of over Rs15.9 million from NBP, ABL and UBL bank accounts of the concerned TMA through 208 cheques and reportedly embezzled the amount.

The official said that Naurang tehsil municipal officer, through two separate letters, (No 801 dated 29-12-2010 and No 500 dated 12-04-2011), clarified that the municipal administration had no record of uplift works carried out through project committees and CCBs in 2008-09. “After registration of case the ACE officials have launched a comprehensive probe into the financial scandal”, he said.