PESHAWAR: The National Accountability Bureau, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday arrested the principal of Vocational and Technical Training Centre, Peshawar (VTTCP) over the alleged misappropriation of funds.

Bakht Zamin is suspected of embezzling Rs33 million during the execution of various vocational training programmes, which are part of the Fata Rural Development Project (FRDP).

In the day, the NAB produced the suspect before an accountability court and secured his nine days remand for interrogation.

Judge Shamsher Ali Khan asked the NAB officials to produce the suspect again on Sept 24.

The NAB officials alleged that Bakht Zamin was involved in corruption and misuse of authority during the execution of various vocational training programmes.

They said the FRDP had taken various initiatives for the development of Fata during 2008-2011.

The officials alleged the VTTCP principal, who was in league with some other people, had embezzled millions of rupees reserved for accommodation of poor Fata students in hostels and hotels and had made nine fake rent agreements with various hotel owners and property dealers to show that he had hired accommodation for students.

They alleged Bakht Zamin used to give cash amounting to Rs20,000-Rs30,000 to training coordinators for the purchase of necessary items but he placed bogus invoices in the record claiming millions of expenditure.

In a news release, the NAB said it was regretful that a person of higher educational level responsible for imparting education gets involved in corruption and corrupt practices.

It added that the principal being the drawing and disbursement officer had embezzled around Rs33 million by misusing his authority.

REMAND EXTENDED: Judge of an accountability court Zarqaish Sani on Tuesday remanded assistant political agent of upper Kurram Maqsood Hassan into the NAB custody for seven more days.

The suspect was arrested by the NAB on the charge of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income on Aug 28.

After his arrest, he had been remanded into custody by the court for different durations.

When he was produced before the court on Tuesday, the officials of NAB said investigation from the suspect had still been in progress and they needed his further custody.

The NAB claimed it had received a complaint that Mr Hassan, then assistant political agent Mohmand, had accumulated huge assets, including one house, several plots in Hayatabad and heavy investments in national saving schemes besides a number of vehicles kept by him and his family members.

The NAB took cognisance of the case and during initial inquiry, it was revealed that the accusations contained in the complaint were true and therefore, it arrested the suspect for investigation.

The same court remanded three officials of Pak-PWD into the NAB custody for further seven days and ordered their production on Sept 22.

Three officials, including SDO Asmatullah, sub-engineer Mohammad Nisar and Rana Babar Shaukat, were charged by the NAB of embezzling Rs290.04 million in public funds in developmental projects in Matta and Khawazakhela tehsils and Shalpeen and Biha union councils of Swat.

The suspects were arrested by the NAB, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa last month.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2014