ISLAMABAD: The government has moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC), seeking cancellation of bail to Zafar Iqbal Gondal, the main accused in multibillion Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) land purchase scam.

The IHC Chief Justice Mohammad Anwar Khan Kasi on Monday directed the former EOBI chief Mr Gondal to submit reply to the petition and adjourned the case till a date to be fixed by the registrar office.

Fazalur Rehman Niazi, a deputy attorney general (DAG) of the federal government, appeared before the court.

He said Gondal was the main accused in the multibillion scam.

The DAG said the court had earlier granted bail to two other accused allegedly involved in this case on entirely different grounds. According to him, one accused was granted bail on medical grounds while the other was released on bail as the evidence against him was insufficient.

DAG Niazi requested the court to cancel the bail granted to Gondal enabling the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for taking the accused in custody.

According to the investigations into Rs40 billion misappropriations, which came to light in 2012, the then EOBI management made investments in the DHA scheme, purchased Crown Plaza in Islamabad at double than the market price and in an alleged illegal manner.

As per reports submitted by the FIA in the court, the EOBI management purchased two 4,300cc Prados for personal use of EOBI officers, purchased two controversial plots in Sukkur, bought seven plots from the CDA.

The FIA said the EOBI purchased 40 kanals and 16 marlas in Lahore, four floors of Plaza Hotel in Lahore and made investment in a seven-star hotel in front of the Lahore airport.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2015

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