*LAHORE*: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) hasmade startling revelations about the properties of the former DG LDA AhadCheema.
NAB has reportedly found ‘evidence’ of former Lahore Development Authoritydirector general Ahad Khan Cheema’s Rs400 million share in another housingscheme in Lahore, according to a reportlink>bya private media outlet.
“During the investigation in the Rs14 billion Ashiana-i-Iqbal housing scam,NAB has got a clue that Cheema is a shareholder of Rs400m in a housingsociety on Ferozepur Road,” a source told the private media outlet.
He said there were three partners in this scheme. “Director properties ofM/s Paragon City (Pvt) Limited Nadeem Zia is said to be the secondpartner,” he said.
An accountability court on Monday last extended the physical remand ofCheema and Bismillah Engineering proprietor Shahid Shafiq Faridi forfurther 15 days in Ashiana case. The bureau’s investigating officer saidthe forensic examination of two cell phones and a laptop recovered fromCheema had not been received from the Punjab Forensic Science Agency so far.
According to NAB, Cheema allegedly misused his authority and with criminalintent prepared, processed, recommended and got approved a fraudulent andillegal request by awarding the contract of the Ashiana-i-Iqbal HousingSociety project.
NAB said the suspect’s illegal actions caused loss to the nationalexchequer as the contractor willfully failed to even initiateAshiana-i-Iqbal project over the past three years.
“Almost 61,000 poor applicants submitted around Rs60 million as processingfee in recent years for allotment of houses. The government incurred anamount of Rs190 million and the contractor M/s Casa Developers also causeda loss in the form of liquidation damages of Rs455 million approximately.In addition, the project cost also increased by hundreds of millions ofrupees,” NAB said.
The bureau said Nadeem Zia, a close aide to Cheema, received Rs30.9 millionin his bank account from the M/s Paragon City (Pvt) Limited accountmaintained at DHA Lahore and same was paid for the purchase of 32-Kanalland in Mouza Tedha tehsil in Lahore Cantonment. “The said land wastransferred in the name of Ahad Khan Cheema’s family members – a brother, asister and a cousin.”
NAB had recently raided the residence and office of Zia to arrest him butreturned unsuccessfully.