PESHAWAR: A two-member bench of Peshawar High Court on Wednesday refused bail to a former director general of Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA), accused of misappropriating millions of rupees on account of payment of compensation for damaged properties to conflict-affected people in Mohmand Agency.

The bench comprising PHC Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Haider Ali Khan dismissed a writ petition filed by the suspect, Arshid Khan, seeking bail in the instant case. The suspect was serving as additional secretary of home department at the time of his arrest on April 2.

Umer Farooq, a prosecutor of NAB, argued that the petitioner and some other officials were arrested on charges of embezzling around Rs60 million on account of payment of compensation to the people affected by conflict.

He said that federal government had announced compensation to the affected people of Mohmand and Bajaur tribal agencies to the tune of Rs160,000 for partially damaged and Rs400,000 for completely damaged houses.

He argued that during course of inquiry by NAB, it was revealed that the petitioner, being director general of FDMA, in connivance with others managed to embezzled millions of rupees in compensations payment meant for the people affected by terrorism in Mohmand Agency.

The prosecutor contended that the petitioner had verified list of 122 bogus affected persons and forwarded it to Provincial Disaster Management Authority. He added that during inquiry, the said 122 affected persons could not be traced.

In the instant case apart from Arshid Khan, NAB had arrested a monitoring officer of FDMA Sirajuddin, a community mobiliser Irfan Khan, an assistant director of FDMA Irfanullah Khan, a manager of United Bank Limited Regi Lalma Branch Amjid Ali and two officials of Habib Bank Limited, Inayat Kallay Bajaur Agency, Sardar Khan and Mohammad Ayub.

NAB had alleged that the suspects opened fake bank accounts wherein the amount meant for the bogus affected people were deposited.

The counsels appearing for the petitioner argued that he was falsely implicated in the case. They said that some of the suspects had already admitted their guilt and entered into plea bargain with NAB. They added that after payment of the alleged misappropriated money by the other suspects, there was no justification for keeping the petitioner behind the bars.

Meanwhile, the bench also dismissed bail petition of a junior clerk of the University of Peshawar, Mohammad Ali, suspected of embezzling Rs15 million from the university’s fund.

His counsel contended that the high court had earlier dismissed his bail plea but despite passing of many months NAB had yet to file a reference before an accountability court. He contended that he may be set free on bail as presently there was no possibility of the starting of his trial in near future.

The NAB’s prosecutor stated that the bureau had completed investigation against him and soon a reference would be filed before the accountability court.

Published in Dawn, June 18th, 2015

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