LAHORE, Sept 23: The National Accountability Bureau on Monday filed a Rs400 million corruption reference against a Saudi-based money-changer and his two sons before an accountability court.

Chaudhry Shahbazuddin and his two sons —- Tariq Shahbaz and Khalid Shahbaz —- were named in the reference. Further proceedings would resume on Tuesday (today).

As alleged in the reference, accused Chaudhry Shahbazuddin along with Tariq and Khalid had fraudulently collected 18 million Saudi Riyals (Rs400 million) from 400 Pakistani nationals in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, through money exchange. It was further alleged that the three accused had collected the amount by issuing drafts in US dollars to the affectees which were not honoured by the City Bank, London, owing to insufficient money in Shahbaz’s account.

Tariq Shahbaz had been declared a proclaimed offender by the Al-Khobar Police in 1997. According to initial investigation, Tariq had entered Pakistan without his passport which was still in the custody of the Al-Khobar Police.

The Lahore police had arrested all the three accused on May 11 this year following the registration of the FIR against them by one affectee, Muhammad Ashraf. Later, the NAB took them into custody from the Camp Jail, Lahore, after the case was referred to it for further investigation by the Lahore Police.