The National Accountability Bureau has filed third corruption reference against former president Asif Ali Zardari, his front man Abdul Ghani Majeed and public office holders in fake bank accounts scam in Islamabad accountability court.

According to details, it was revealed that Harish and Co gave Rs39 million to the official of the Sindh government who was the part of procurement committee. The Harish and Co did not qualify for' Thatta Water Supply Scheme'.

According to the NAB investigation, it was also revealed that the instant case pertains to Illegal award of contract by Special Initiative Department for water supply scheme, Thatta to the contractor Harish. Initially, the JIT formed by Supreme Court of Pakistan to investigate the fake accounts case inquired about the receipt of kick backs by public office holders wherein a contractor namely Harish s/o Kalumal, owner M/S Harish and Co appeared and admitted before the JIT that he gave illegal gratification of amount Rs39.25 million to Ali Akbar Abro (the then XEN/ part of procurement committee) for award of said contract to him on May 21, 2015. This amount paid as kick back eventually landed into a bank account by the name of Royal International which turned out to be a fake account.

During the proceedings of investigation by NAB, it revealed that accused contractor didn't qualify for the award of the said project however, the accused persons (Officers/ Officials of SID/ Members of Procurement Committee) in active connivance with each other, by corrupt and corrupt practices extended pecuniary advantage to the contractor by qualifying him on the basis of fake/forged documents and later on illegally awarded the said project on cost which was 38% higher than the amount approved in PC-1.

During the course of further investigation, the contractor agreed to pay back the embezzled amount to NAB and entered into Plea Bargain which was approved by the Accountability Court no II on August 2, 2019. Moreover, the convict Harish also admitted before the Accountability court No II Islamabad that he gave cheques as an illegal gratification to the project engineer of the said project namely Ali Akbar Abro.

It was also revealed that accused Khawaja Abdul Ghani Majid, owner/director of Omni Group declared the fake account of Royal International as his own account in an amnesty scheme which was announced by the government. The money trail shows that the amount of kick backs received in fake account were utilised partially for purchase of a plot No 130, Khayaban-e-Qasim, DHA, Karachi in the name of Menahil Majid w/o petitioner Abdul Ghani Majid. Moreover, illegal crime proceeds to the tune of Rs7.4 million were transferred to the bank account of one Abdul Nadeem Bhutto, the care taker of ex-president house Naudero for bearing the expenses of Asif Ali Zardari.

The NAB Investigation established that Asif Ali Zardari through his front man Abdul Ghani Majeed, owner of Omni Group put in place a network of fake accounts to launder the funds drained from public projects and ultimately used this money for bearing their expenses and making assets in the names of their front man/benamidars in Pakistan and abroad.

© Pakistan Press International, source Asianet-Pakistan