KARACHI, Aug 24: The National Accountability Bureau arrested on Wednesday a former project manager of the Port Qasim Authority for his involvement in financial embezzlement and malpractices and for causing a loss of Rs350 million to the national exchequer.

Abdul Hakeem, who was remanded to the jail custody by the administrative judge of the accountability courts, allegedly misappropriated funds of bulk water supply scheme of PQA.

Four PQA officials — Irshad Ahmed Shaikh, former deputy general manager, Sahib Dad Mengal, former Deputy GM, Hamzo Khan Gabol, assistant executive engineer, and Pir Bux Solangi, XEN, and contractor Abdul Sattar Mandokhail, were earlier arrested by the NAB.

The accused were allegedly involved in defective construction, use of sub-standard material, corruption and misuse of authority in the development scheme of the PQA, executed from 1995 to 1998 in three phases.