PESHAWAR, Oct 11: Five former officials of the Communication and Works Department, accused of embezzlement in the World Bank-funded Primary Education Project in Dir district, were remanded in the custody of Regional Accountability Bureau for 15 days by an accountability court here on Thursday.

The accused, arrested on Sept 26, were produced before the court after completion of their earlier custody of 15 days. The investigation officer informed the court that investigation in the case had not yet been completed and they needed further custody of the accused.

The arrested accused are: Amresh Khan, superintendent engineer, C&W Department, Mardan; Abdul Hafeez Sawal, deputy director (Works), C&W Department, Timergarah; Mohammad Humayun Khan, deputy director (Works), C&W Department, Upper Dir; Zahir Shah, SDO (Works), C&W department, Timergarah; and Mohammad Israr, SDO (Works), C&W Department, Upper Dir.

Advocate Aneesa Zaib Tahirkheli, appearing for one of the accused, Abdul Hafeez Sawal, opposed further physical custody of the accused, arguing that he was falsely implicated in the case. She contended that the accused took charge of his post on Jan 6, 2001, whereas the alleged misappropriation of money had taken place before that period. The court did not accept her contention and allowed the accused in the RAB’s custody.

The National Accountability Bureau has alleged that a sum of Rs257.27 million was withdrawn out of which Rs116.07 million was siphoned off by the accused.

However, another component of Rs141.193 million was found illegally credited in the accounts of C&W Department. It was claimed by the RAB that the amount, too, was placed there to be embezzled later, but had now been frozen on the orders of RAB, NWFP.

The RAB has alleged that the five persons caused wilful loss to the public exchequer in connivance with each other.

It was stated that the credit facility was to be utilised for the purposes of: construction of new primary schools; upgradation of primary schools to secondary level; conversion of mosque schools to primary schools; and provisions of additional classrooms.

The project was to be completed by June 30, 2000, but it was delayed and extended till Dec 30, 2000.

It was alleged that huge funds remained unutilized, a major chunk of which was misappropriated by the five accused through execution of bogus and fake schemes.