GUJRAT: Three suspects, including the two officials of the Bank of Punjab involved in the mega corruption scam of Rs93 million of Gujrat Municipal Corporation GtMC, have been sent to the Gujrat district jail on judicial remand by a local court on Saturday.

Bank staffers Malik Irfan and Salman Haider and a sanitary worker of the MC Ijaz Masih were produced before the court of senior civil judge (criminal division) Javed Iqbal by the Federal Investigation Agency after the completion of their three days physical remand.

The FIA team sought extension in physical remand but the court observed that the concerned investigation officer of FIA did not appear in the court during the last two hearings as well as no progress is made despite six days of physical remand of the suspects.

The court declined the FIA plea of extension in physical remand and sent the suspects to the jail on judicial remand and ordered their production on Dec 20. The scam in Gujrat MC had initially been lodged by the Anti-Corruption Establishment against eight suspects, including a former chief officer Malik Ibrar. Three officials of MC were also arrested.

The ACE later arrested three more suspects, including the two BoP officials after which a Gujranwala court ordered transfer of the case to FIA due to the arrest and nomination of bank officials.

The FIA Gujrat circle later lodged a case against the suspects and started investigation.

Some of the suspects have been on bail before arrest in the case.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2024