RAWALPINDI, Nov 23: The director, Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), Rawalpindi, Mohammad Khan Ranjha on Wednesday accused the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of harassing him to get 'investigation file' of a mega land scam.

The ACE has carried out investigation into the scam involving fraudulent transfer of land, measuring 1,704 kanals, allegedly by owners of a private housing society in Rawalpindi to a leading property tycoon.

The investigation has also led to the arrest of five revenue officials involved in the dubious deal.

The director told Dawn that NAB officials came to ACE Rawalpindi office and sought the investigation file but he refused to hand it over to them despite their insistence.

“They (NAB officials) came to my office and tried to forcibly take the file but I resisted and denied them access to the documents,” he said adding he had sent a letter to ACE Director General, Lahore, seeking his permission for sharing the file with the NAB.

He questioned the rationale behind looking into an investigation file that has already been completed by a government agency and the case was in a court of law.

“I have also complained about the intimidatory attitude of NAB officials adding that the accountability bureau should have approached the Punjab government instead of us,” Mr Ranjha added.

However, according to sources, the NAB was not satisfied with the investigation of ACE as, according to them, it was initiated at the behest of a key Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) leader in Rawalpindi who has strained relation with the property tycoon.

“The NAB might have noticed flaws in the investigation of the scam due to political influence on ACE. Moreover, NAB has the right to ask anybody anytime and there is no harm in sharing files with the major accountability bureau,” a NAB official said.

The local administration and police have also tried to arrest Malik Riaz and his son Ali Riaz in the light of the investigation report of ACE but both the DCO Rawalpindi Saqib Zaffar and Regional Police Officer (RPO) Capt (retired) M Zubair were transferred by the federal government.

But the transfers of the two officers could not be materialised as Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) of Punjab government refused to relieve them.

When contacted, NAB spokesman Shiraz Latif said he had no knowledge of the issue adding that he would talk to his officials to inquire bout their visit to ACE Rawalpindi office.