PESHAWAR: Accountability courts here on Wednesday sent to prison on judicial remand eight suspects, arrested by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in a high-profile case involving alleged embezzlement of more than Rs37 billion in Upper Kohistan district accounts office.

Following completion of their physical remand with NAB, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, five of the suspects were produced before the court of Judge Amjid Zia Siddiqui, whereas remaining three before that of Judge Ali Gohar. Courts sent them to prison on 14-day judicial remand each.

Those produced before Judge Siddiqui included an assistant accounts officer in Kohistan district accounts office, Ulfat Ali, a relative of a prime accused Imran Khan, a junior clerk in communication and works department Abdul Basit and two of the other beneficiaries in the scam Syed Bilal Shah and Syed Moeez Haider.

Similarly, three other suspects produced before the court of Judge Ali Gohar included an official of Kohistan district accounts office, Sher Baz, a contractor Sartaj Khan and a relative of the prime accused Faheem Moin Khan.

NAB alleges misappropriation of over Rs37bn in the scam

The prime accused, Qaiser Iqbal, a head clerk in communication and works department, and his wife had already been sent to prison on judicial remand by an accountability court on Nov 1 after their 14-day physical custody completed with NAB.

So far around 27 accused persons have been arrested in the instant case.

The NAB officials stated that on credible information the bureau had started an inquiry and during preliminary probe it revealed that officials of communication and works department, Upper Kohistan, in connivance with officials of district accounts office, Upper Kohistan, and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) branch there, had misappropriated funds from different projects through bogus withdrawal of funds from the national treasury in the name of several contractors, who had not executed any civil work.

They said that the prime accused and several others were involved in illegal withdrawal and misappropriation of more than Rs37 billion from the contractors security deposit head of an account, G-10113.

They stated that accused persons had abused their respective positions to initiate the process of fraudulent withdrawal from government treasury by creating

falsified documentations, which were used to siphon funds from head of account, G-10113.

They said that the accused included officials of district accounts office, communication and works department, commercial banks and scores of private contractors.

Accountability courts have so far confirmed several NAB orders to freeze dozens of moveable and immovable properties including luxurious residences, commercial plazas and plots, expensive vehicles and cash, including foreign currency allegedly owned by several of the accused persons arrested so far.

Around 38 of the frozen properties allegedly belonged to another key accused in the case, Mohammad Riaz, a bank cashier-turned-contractor, and his close relatives.

The said accused had allegedly established some construction companies in the names of his six brothers and subsequently in his name after resignation from the bank.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2025