ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad High Court (IHC) division bench on Friday dismissed a post-arrest bail petition by an influential Islamabad district administration official in a multi-million rupee land fraud case.

A bench made up on justices Aamer Farooq and Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb rejected a bail plea by Malik Deen, a grade 17 officer of the district administration, who converted Rs678 million worth of land reserved for the E-11 graveyard into commercial plots and allotted them to “associated beneficiaries”.

According to an investigation conducted by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Mr Deen was appointed E-11 private housing societies administration on Feb 14, 2012, for 60 days. According to the clause 5(i) of his appointment letter, he “shall not make any allotment of plots, whether fresh or pending, initiate any development work or make any payment pertaining to any development work and sale or purchase of land”.

But the investigation found that Mr Deen violated the conditions of his appointment, illegally issued allotment letters to his associated beneficiaries and kept the lucrative post of administration for nearly 15 months without formal approval.

He also did not hold elections for the housing society or carry out the subsequent transfer of authority to elected individuals, in order to prolong his stint as administrator.

NAB authorised the inquiry against him on Jan 13, and he was arrested on Mar 24.

The bureau opposed post-arrest bail for Mr Deen, and in a written reply informed the court that he was a “highly influential person” and would “hamper the ongoing process of inquiry, investigation and collection of evidence”. NAB’s report also suggested that he may exercise influence to manipulate potential witnesses.

Mr Deen has also served as the circle registrar of the district administration cooperative department. He is currently being held at Adiala jail, and faces multiple graft cases.

In 2012, while he was the caretaker administrator of E-11 housing societies, the Islamabad deputy commissioner expressed helplessness in initiating an inquiry against him when he appeared before the IHC that September.

After NAB arrested him in March, Mr Deen levelled allegations against the NAB investigation team claiming they had recovered a large amount of foreign and local currency, jewellery and a large quantity of liquor from his residence, but the official document containing details of recovered items listed Rs1 million, SR 35,000 and 32 tolas jewellery and did not include liquor.

His application, which was filed in accountability court, was not entertained.

His counsel engaged three criminal lawyers, including a recently retired NAB additional deputy prosecuter general. The defence counsel pleaded before the IHC division bench that their client did not commit any offence while he was housing society administrator.

They contended that Mr Deen, in his capacity as administrator, took all decisions in the public interest and on the demands of local residents.

They also argued that the NAB authorities summoned him in connection with the aforementioned inquiry, but he was taken into custody, which was in violation of NAB’s standard operating procedure. They asked the court to release the suspect on bail.

However, the bench rejected the request, and directed the suspect to face trial proceedings in accountability court.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2016