LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau Lahore has arrested a top official of an international NGO for allegedly misappropriation of funds on the complaint of a whistle-blower employee of the organisation.

According to NAB Lahore, Babu Abdul Qayyum, chief of staff of the Pakistan Swedish Teachers Association (PSTA) allegedly misappropriated Rs48.621m in connivance with Haroon Michael Yousaf and and Sameer Ilyas, general and finance secretaries, respectively, of the NGO.

It said the PSTA used to receive foreign aid from Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) through Pan Asia Cooperation Society (PACS). “NAB Lahore received complaints in September last against the suspects for fraudulent transfer of foreign grants meant for public welfare from PSTA’s account to their private joint account,” a NAB official told Dawn on Thursday, adding that the agency received the complaint from an employee of the NGO, whose name it was withholding.

He said Haroon Michael Yousaf managed to embezzle Rs160m through different bank transactions, of which Rs48.6m were transacted from bank account of PSTA to the suspects’ joint account which was a proof of misappropriation of huge amount that was meant for development work in Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2017