PESHAWAR, Sept 23: A former provincial minister, Hidayatullah Afridi, and four other accused, arrested in the primary education department scandal, were released on Monday after their plea-bargain was accepted by the NAB chairman.

The additional deputy prosecutor general of NAB, Haider Ali, informed the accountability court presided over by Miftauddin Khan that the plea bargain of the five accused — Hidayatullah, Syed Iqbal Younas, Fazal Habib, Mohammad Saleem and Mohammad Zahoor — was accepted by the chairman and their release orders were issued on Sept 20.

Under the deal with the NAB Fazal Habib of Northern Sports, Peshawar, will pay Rs61,96,666 to the NAB. He deposited Rs26,50,000 in advance and would pay rest within 45 days.

The accused, Syed Iqbal Younas of Technicon (Pvt) Peshawar will pay Rs37,92,524 out of which he deposited Rs16,97,445. The remaining amount will be paid in 45 days.

Hidayatullah of Najeeb Impex Peshawar, Mohammad Saleem of Ravi Traders Sahiwal and Zahoor of Shahzad Enterprises Sahiwal will pay amounts of Rs15,22,262, Rs5,00,000 and Rs5,00,000 respectively.

Some of the officers of the Directorate of Primary Education (PEP) and the said five contractors including the ex-provincial minister were arrested in the scam where a huge grant of Rs87 million released in 1994-95 to Education Department for the purchase of jute tats, chalks, charts and models, sports goods and furniture was misappropriated and a loss of Rs14 million was caused to the government exchequer.

The NAB has claimed that in the first place the purchase committee had violated the codal formalities while giving away the tenders and ultimately the contracts were given to the said contractors.

The contractors were to provide all the items within 90 days of the date of signing of the contracts but they did not do so within the stipulated time rather utilized the public money for their own interest.