ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi has uncovered a multi-million rupee scam where several hapless individuals were cheated out of their hard-earned money with empty promises of plots in the hill resort of Manga, near Murree.
NAB has so far recovered Rs19 million from the management of the housing scheme, Sun City.
The chief executive of the scheme, Syed Ali Murtaza, confessed to the crime and agreed to return the money paid to the scheme by those seeking plots.
“The CEO of Sun City had submitted a Rs30 million Voluntary Return (VR) application under section 25 (a) of National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999 to the NAB which has been accepted and the accused has paid Rs19 million to NAB Rawalpindi,” NAB Spokesperson Hafiz Muhammad Irfan said.
The housing scheme’s management is expected to submit the remaining Rs11 million to the bureau soon.
The management of the private housing scheme had obtained a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Murree Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) for the project in February 2004 to develop an area of 1000s kanals in Mouza Manga, Tehsil Murree, Rawalpindi district.
NAB sources said that the society started earth-moving work, but soon after the deadly earthquake of October 2005, the Ministry of Environment, on the directions of the Supreme Court, imposed a complete ban on new construction in the Murree area, until clearance was obtained from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The EPA cleared the scheme in February 2008, but no development work was carried out in the interim period. Society members, disappointed by the lack of progress, stopped their payments and subsequently submitted applications with NAB for the refund of their deposits.
Based on the complaints, the National Accountability Bureau, Rawalpindi, took action against the management of the scheme and property measuring 354 kanals, worth Rs500 million, was auctioned.
Following NAB action, the accused opted for Voluntary Return (VR) and paid Rs19 million out of the Rs30 million they owed and sought more time to pay back the remaining amount.
Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2014
