ATTOCK, July 10: A district forest officer (DFO) declared an absconder in the Rs9 million Hazro park scam has not yet been arrested even after the passage of more than five years, it has been learnt.

The official escaped from a hospital during police custody on January 3, 2007. Earlier, the accused, Shad Mohammad Khan, had also been declared a court absconder after he failed to appear before a special anti-corruption court in March 2007. His immoveable property and other assets were also attached.

The accused was arrested on June 23, 2006, by the anti-corruption department on the charge of misappropriating Rs9 million in the Hazro park project. During physical remand, the accused made two attempts for hospitalisation on medical ground but he was declared medically fit by a medical team of the district headquarters hospital (DHQ) hospital Attock. His bail applications were rejected by the special anti-corruption court and then Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench.

On December 21, 2006, the accused was referred to the DHQ hospital Rawalpindi from the Attock district jail for medical check-up from where he fled due to negligence of the police guards.

The Ganjmandi police in Rawalpindi registered another criminal case against the accused on the charge of absconding from the police custody. However, the police have failed to trace the accused.

When contacted, circle officer of the anti-corruption department Syed Shaukat Shah confirmed that the accused was still at large. However, he added, efforts were being made to arrest him.