QUETTA: The National Accountability Bureau, Balochistan, after completing inv­estigation into a scam involving millions of rupees in Red Crescent, has filed a reference in an accountability court aga­inst six people, including former chairman and former secretary of the organisation.

The suspects are believed to have misappropriated funds allocated to deal with natural disasters and for welfare of people. The former chairman of Red Crescent, Balochistan, Shabbir Ahmed, and former secretary Jahanzeb Raisani are among the suspects against whom the reference has been filed.

The Balochistan NAB took notice of complaints of alleged embezzlement of millions of rupees in Red Crescent, Balochistan, and launched the investigation. NAB officials claimed that there was widespread corruption in the funds allocated for dealing with natural calamities and welfare of the people.

According to documents received by NAB, the accused were unable to answer questions about renovation of the office, petrol and rent-a-car service set up in the name of their employees.

The accused chairman of Red Crescent Society, who was allegedly recruited on political grounds, had no experience or skills in running such an organisation. Secretary Raisani was allegedly a former ghost employee of the education department who has been accused of corruption also in the past.

NAB issued arrest warrants against the accused in the light of evidence on which the accused approached the Balochistan High Court.

The NAB prosecutor and the investigating officer presented their arguments before a BHC bench comprising Justice Kamran Mullahkhail and Rozi Khan Barrech.

Considering the evidence sufficient, the court rejected the bail application of the accused after which they were arrested. After completion of the investigation, a reference against all the accused has been filed in the accountability court.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2021