KARACHI: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has arrested three officials of different private banks and a private citizen who, in connivance with Lyari Expressway Resettlement Project (LERP) officials, were involved in illegal allotment of plots reserved for affected families worth more than Rs12 million, said a statement on Tuesday.

“NAB had received complaints to the fact that officers and officials of LERP and revenue department are involved in acts of corruption and corrupt practices in LERP,” said the NAB statement. “Accordingly, the matter was investigated and during investigation it was found that accused persons were involved in unauthorised and illegal allotment of plots reserved for affected families and amounting to Rs.1 crore 25 lakh. It was also found during investigation that payment of compensation meant for displaced families were paid to unauthorised persons illegally with active connivance of bank officials of different banks and such payments were credited to third-party bank accounts.”

A reference in the subject matter was filed by Karachi NAB against the ‘accused persons’, said the statement, adding that all the four suspects — Anwar Ahmed of Standard Chartered Bank, Muhammad Rafique of Habib Bank Limited and Azhar Zahid of Habib Metropolitan Bank and private citizen Muhammad Naseemuddin — were later arrested.

“The accountability court has remanded the above said accused persons in judicial custody on July 28. Efforts are under way to apprehend the remaining absconding accused person,” added the statement.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2015

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