By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday expedited probe into corruption allegations against Senate deputy chairman Saleem Mandviwalla in fake accounts scandal and a case related to illegal allotments in Kidney Hills.
Agencies add: The anti-corruption watchdog proceeded the probe into corruption charges against Saleem Mandviwalla on basis of the statement recorded by his alleged front man Tariq.
The alleged front man claimed that Benami (unnamed) properties belong to Mandviwalli, whereas, the Senate deputy chairman had also confirmed in his media statement that the properties owned by his family.
Reports revealed that the properties were not disclosed in his particulars provided to the election commission and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
It emerged that Rs140 million was acquired by illegally allotting the state land besides transferring money through fake bank accounts to his front man Tariq.
Moreover, Rs3.1 worth shares had been purchased in Mangla View Company on the name of an employee and a bungalow number 55/30A was also purchased in Karachi by using the name of Abdul Qadir Shahwani.
A partner of Mandviwalla, Ijaz Haroon, had also admitted receiving money from Abdul Ghani while Omni Group played an important role for carrying out the alleged financial embezzlement.
An accountability court issued a written order to freeze alleged Bename shares, whereas, the order was also enclosed with the investigation report of the anti-corruption watchdog.
During the investigation, it emerged that money transfers had been made through fake accounts of Omni Group under the guise of a business deal. Sources closer to NAB investigators said that evidence indicated Mandviwalla’s alleged involvement under Section 9.
The accountability court stated that the orders for freezing the shares were issued to stop its selling following the suspicions raised by the NAB.
Moreover, the court had also directed concerned authorities to apprise the Security Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), Saleem Mandviwalla and alleged ostensible owner regarding the orders.
Mr Mandviwala had particularly targeted NAB Rawalpindi director general Irfan Naeem Mangi and alleged that Mr Mangi openly claimed that he had complete backing of the army and no one could remove him from this position.
He alleged that NAB officials were pressurising him and his family members, asking them to force former managing director of Pakistan International Airlines Ijaz Haroon, also an accused in the case, to make a plea bargain deal with them.
About his case, Mr Mandviwala said he had made money transactions with the army on a project which was being carried out at the land of Mangla Corps and the NAB officials were not disclosing before the court that he had made transactions with the army.
Earlier Monday, Chairman NAB assured Mandviwala that he was examining the corruption cases being investigated against him to fulfill the prerequisites of justice. The Senate deputy chairman called on the anti-graft watchdog’s chief at the NAB headquarters where the former apprised the latter about his case in NAB, Rawalpindi.
