PESHAWAR: The National Accountability Bureau, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Tuesday arrested Syed Masoom Shah, the then special assistant to former chief minister Ameer Haider Hoti on charges of corruption and possessing assets not matching his known sources of income.

The suspect was reportedly arrested in Islamabad and will be produced before an accountability court here today (Wednesday) for getting his physical remand, according to a press release.

The suspect, who contested the 2013 general elections on Awami National Party ticket, had served as tehsil nazim Shabqadar in Charsadda from 2001 to 2004, and subsequently, as special assistant to the chief minister during 2010 to 2013 when coalition government of ANP and PPP was ruling the province.

The NAB claims that the then chief minister Hoti also held portfolio of communication and works and public health engineering departments. It is alleged that Masoom Shah was involved in posting/transfers in the said departments in violation of rules. It is claimed that for accepting bribes and misusing his political status, the suspect was dubbed and known as SMS, the initials of his name.

During inquiry it was revealed that the accused gained illegal money which didn’t match to his legal sources of income.

The properties allegedly possessed by him include a hujra on 12 kanal land at his village Battagram in Charsadda; two plots each at Hayatabad Township, Regi Model Town and DHA Karachi; a precious house on Tulip Road, Bahria Town, Rawalpindi; one kanal house at Zaryab Colony, Peshawar; three kanal precious land in Tehkal Bala, Peshawar; and one kanal land in Warsak Road area of the provincial capital.

The NAB alleged that the suspect also possessed huge bank balance in local and foreign bank accounts and owned precious vehicles. The suspect and his family members frequently visited UAE and spent millions of rupees there.

Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2015

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