GILGIT: The National Accountability Bureau on Wednesday arrested three officials of Gilgit-Baltistan agriculture department for their alleged involvement in embezzlement of over Rs20 million through bogus bills and advertisements.

NAB personnel arrested Nizamudin, GB deputy director agriculture, Sir Syed Ahmad, drawing and disbursing officer, and cashier Shah Zareen from Gilgit.

According to a press release issued here, the accused misused their authority and embezzled the amount by processing bogus bills on the basis of fake advertisements, fake documents etc from various heads of the agriculture department in Diamer, during their posting in Chilas.

The three will be presented before the accountability court Gilgit today (Thursday) for obtaining their physical remand for further interrogation.

Meanwhile, NAB has approved investigation against various former GB forest officials for being involved in illegal cutting and transportation of timber from GB, and GB health department officials for illegal appointments.

This was decided at the regional board meeting of NAB in Rawalpindi chaired by DG Irfan Naeem Mangi.

The first investigation approved for reference is against Ismail Zafar, GB ex-conservator, Saleemullah Khan, former district forest officer, and Qadardan, former regional forest officer, for Illegal cutting and transportation of timber from Makhley and Minar forests in GB.

The second investigation approved is against Saleemullah Khan, former DFO Astore, Fareedullah Khan, former superintendent, and forest lessee Mohammad Iqbal regarding transportation of illegally cut timber from Chilas forest division.

The responsible officials of GB forest department have already been arrested and are presently in judicial custody. The third investigation was approved regarding illegal appointments in the National Programme for Family Planning and Primary Health Care GB, wherein officials of lower grades were appointed against higher posts in violation of rules and regulations and on the basis of fake documents by the then secretary health, provincial coordinator, and director health.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2018