NAB traces fake bank accounts used for corruption in pension funds

KARACHI: In major development during the ongoing investigation into alleged corruption, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) traced nine more fake bank accounts used for embezzlement of pension funds by officials the Sindh finance department, citing sources, ARY News reported on Friday.

Besides detecting the new fake bank accounts, the anti-corruption watchdog has also traced the system for embezzlement of government funds worth billions through ‘fake pension (commutation) bills’.

Sources privy to the development told ARY News that Rs140 million had been deposit the nine bank accounts from 2012 to 2017. The money was then transferred to the accounts of Naveed Bajari, the former additional district account officer of District Accounts Office – Hyderabad, and his family.

Read: NAB files corruption reference against Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah

It emerged that Rs30 million had been transferred to Dubai from the fake bank accounts. Following the revelations, NAB had issued call-up notice to Naveed Bajari to question him on January 20, however, he did not appear before the investigators, sources added.

Sources said that Naveed Bajari is an employee of Sindh Forest Department and relative of the prime suspect Salim Bajari in the pension corruption case.

Read: Four people arrested over corruption in Sindh Food department

Moreover, the probe team had also summoned other accused, Ashraf Ali Janwari and Altaf Mangi, on the same day. Ashraf Ali Janwari had recorded his statement, whereas, a foreign DAO Aslam Abro provided pension records sought by the investigators.

 

The bureau had earlier sought records from the provincial forest department regarding the suspects in the case. A combined investigation team has continued its probe into the pension scandal, sources said.

Massive corruption in pension funds

Earlier on January 4, a high-level probe had exposed massive corruption worth over Rs2.031 trillion in Sindh Finance Department by defalcation of government employees’ pensions by the provincial treasurer office.

The massive corruption worth over Rs2.031 trillion was made in term of pensions of government employees as the money was transferred to the bank accounts of the residents of Dadu and Johi town of Sindh from the treasurer office.

The money was primarily transferred to the bank accounts of different persons belonging to ‘Dawach family’ during 2012 and 2017; as well as in some fake accounts and the bank accounts of a frontman of a prominent personality.

Read: Corruption worth Rs100bn unearthed in Sindh Building Control Authority

After getting the evidence, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had issued notices to 54 accused including members of Dawach family. 30 accused had recorded their statements and submitted affidavits in the corruption case.

While recording the statements, the investigators found many of the accused unaware about the opening of bank accounts and transfer of funds. The defalcated money had been transferred to 147 accounts of a bank, whereas, more than Rs1 trillion money had been transferred to 84 bank accounts belonging to 22 members of Dawach family.

The huge amount of money had been released from the provincial finance department’s system with the help of a district accounts officer, said sources, adding that a seven-member investigation team was also constituted to ascertain the massive corruption allegations.