ISLAMABAD: After carrying out an aggressive campaign against white-collar crimes in Sindh, especially Karachi, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is now reported to be going after holders of public offices said to have been involved in corrupt practices in Punjab.

According to a spokesman, Lahore National Accountability Bureau arrested on Friday several accused involved in a major scam in a cooperative housing society in Gujranwala.

Also read: PML-N mulls activating FIA, NAB in Punjab

Those arrested in connection with the scam involving hundreds of acres of land included officers of the provincial cooperatives department and former and current office-bearers of the society. Among them are an assistant registrar of the cooperatives department in Gujranwala, former president of the society; its former finance secretary, a former member of the land purchase committee and secretary of the society.

According to National Accountability Bureau’s investigations, the accused purchased the land at inflated rates and received huge amounts in kickbacks.

They allegedly embezzled the society’s funds and committed offences of misusing their authority, cheating the public and criminal breach of trust.

They will be presented before the accountability court in Lahore for physical remand.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2015

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