Motorway Scam: Sindh seeks suspension of DC Naushehro Feroz

KARACHI: The Sindh government has in a letter to the federal government has sought suspension of deputy commissioner Naushehro Feroz after the M-6 graft scandal has surfaced, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The massive corruption scam of misappropriation in motorway funds has reached to Naushehro Feroz after Matiari with disclosure that deputy commissioner of the district, Tashfeen Alam, has been involved in the scandal, according to sources.

DC Naushehro Tashfeen has been in hiding for last four days, sources said.

The amount was released by the government to deputy commissioners for procurement of land for the motorway, has been misappropriated, sources said.

The Sindh government, apart of writing a letter to the federal government seeking suspension of the services of the DC Naushehro Feroz, has also constituted a team for arrest of Tashfeen Alam.

The National Highway Authority (NHA) had released over three billion rupees to deputy commissioner Matiari to procure land for the motorway.

Earlier, Anti-Corruption officials of Hyderabad had arrested deputy commissioner Matiari over corruption in funds for Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway project.

DC Matiari Adnan Rashid was arrested over graft charges and anti-corruption officials taken key papers in their custody during the search of his office.

Adnan Rashid was removed hours ago from his office over corruption charges in funds for Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway (M-6) project. He had allegedly misappropriated 1.75 billion rupees from the motorway funds.

Assistant Commissioner New Saeedabad, Mansoor Abbasi, was also been notified to be suspended from his office.

Chief Secretary Sindh had initiated inquiry into the corruption scam related to land procurement for the motorway project.

Instead of payment to landowners by cross cheques, the amount was drawn in cash by the accused in their own names, according to the inquiry report.

According to documents, the National Highway Authority (NHA) had released an amount of Rs. 4.09 billion to DC Matiari for purchase of the land for the motorway. The accused drawn Rs 1.82 billion cash from bank for procurement of land for 70 kilometers of the road, according to documents.

An amount of Rs four billion was transferred to another account by the accused and earned 540 million rupees profit. AC New Saeedabad paid cash to the landowners instead of cheques, according to case papers.