PESHAWAR: National Accountability Bureau, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Wednesday arrested son of a former MNA and a sub-engineer of Pak Public Works department (PWD) Swat on charges of carrying out substandard and ghost developmental projects in Swat, causing a loss of Rs57 million to the exchequer.

The two suspects are identified as a contractor, Mohammad Aimal Khan, stated to be son of the then MNA of NA-29, Swat, Muzafarul Mulk, and a sub-engineer of PAK PWD, Nisar Aziz.

NAB has stated that Pak PWD Batkhela division awarded various developmental schemes to Muhammad Aimal Khan. It is added that all the schemes were shown executed as per record, wherein grave illegalities including ghost and substandard schemes were identified during the course of investigation.

It added that Nisar Aziz had recorded fictitious measurements, ghost and unexecuted or partially executed schemes and signed bogus entries in measurement books on the basis of which payments were made to the contractor.

Suspects accused of causing Rs57 million loss to exchequer

Due to winter vacations of the judges of accountability courts, the suspects were produced before a judicial magistrate, Asif Jadoon.

The magistrate sent them on judicial remand to Peshawar prison and directed that they should be produced before the accountability court on January 4.

Meanwhile, an Ehtesab court remanded provincial secretary of food department, Sahibzada Fazal Ameen, to the custody of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission (KPEC) for seven days in a case of misuse of office and corrupt practices.

The Ehtesab judge, Hayat Ali Shah, directed that the suspect should be again produced on January 6 before the court.

A deputy director (investigation), Saleh Mohammad Khan, produced the suspect before the court and stated that he was involved in certain illegal actions during his tenure as secretary social welfare department.

He requested the court to grant his physical custody to the commission so as to interrogate him in connection with those illegal acts.

The commission alleged that the suspect was involved in several illegal appointments in the social welfare department and the child protection commission including that of chief child protection officer Murad Afridi, who happened to be the brother-in-law of the then provincial minister for social welfare, Senator Sitara Ayaz.

It stated that under the Child Protection and Welfare Commission Act, 2010, the provincial government had to frame rules for carrying out functions of the commission including appointments of its officials, but the rules had not been framed so far.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2015