LAHORE: An accountability court on Thursday granted 10-day physical remand of Lahore Parking Company (LPC) former chairman Hafiz Mian Nauman to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in an alleged scam of awarding illegal contracts of the parking lots.

The NAB had arrested Mian Nauman on Wednesday after the Lahore High Court turned down his request to further extend the concession of pre-arrest interim bail.

NAB prosecutor Waris Ali Janjua told the accountability court that Nauman misused his powers and was involved in illegal contracts of 246 parking lots. He was chairman of the parking company when it was established in 2013.

The prosecutor said three out of five other arrested suspects had already confessed to misappropriation in company’s financial affairs. He said Nauman and other suspects were guilty of causing a loss of over Rs1 billion to the national exchequer. He requested the court to grant a 15-day physical remand of the suspect for further interrogation.

Counsel for Nauman opposed the bureau’s request and argued that the former MPA held the office of the LPC chairman on an honorary basis having no executive powers. He said Nauman being chairman of the company never withdrew any emolument and used to attend its board’s meetings on a ceremonial basis.

He pointed out that the petitioner had resigned from the LPC chairmanship on Dec 30, 2016. He said all record of defence had been furnished to the NAB. Therefore, he said there was no need to grant physical remand.

The court, however, allowed the NAB to have custody of the suspect till Dec 8.

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2018