LAHORE, Feb 28: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will start from next week the distribution of cheques among 3,600 victims of the Sibtul Hasan, alias Double Shah, financial scam.

Talking to reporters at Chamba House here on Thursday, NAB Awareness Director Brig Farooq Hameed (retired) said the bureau had recovered some money from the accused and his accomplices under the plea-bargain and voluntary return deals.

He said the NAB would distribute cheques worth Rs102.789 million among 3,600 persons who had given their investment directly to Double Shah. Brig Hameed clarified that NAB had verified through proper channel the claims of the 3,600 claimants.

He disclosed that NAB was still interrogating some main agents of Double Shah, including Syed Tasawwar Hussain Gillani, Syed Mukhtar Hussain Gillani and Zaheer Abbas Ghumman, all belonging to Sambrial.

He further said that during the second leg of first phase of reimbursement in mid April, the NAB would distribute cheques worth Rs336 million among 2,015 victims of Zaheer Abbas Ghumman while in May it would distribute Rs297 million among 4,138 victims of Tasawwar Hussain Gillani.

Brig Hameed said the NAB was in the process of verification of claims submitted by the victims of different agents of Double Shah and the schedule of payment would be announced after completion of the process.

Cheques given: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) director-general on Thursday distributed cheques worth Rs19.6 million among 146 affectees of the ZI Business group.

A ceremony in this regard was held at Chamba House. Speaking at the ceremony, NAB Chief Maj-Gen Nasir Mahmood said the ZI Business group cheated numerous people between January, 2003, and November, 2004, by offering them extraordinary profit on their investment.

He said: “The company issued its stakeholders repayment cheques, which were dishonoured by banks because the firm’s directors had closed their business and disappeared without returning the public money”.

He said NAB officials investigated a case and signed an agreement with Brig Zaheerullah (retired), also involved in the scam, for a recovery of Rs52.23 million from him. He said Zaheerullah had paid the NAB Rs19.6 million, which it distributed among 146 affectees.

He said the NAB had filed a reference against other accused, including Iftikhar Ali, Rehan Iftikhar and Ghulam Qadir, adding the case was being pursued in an accountability court.--APP