Saad Rafique, Salman Rafique file bail petitions in LHC

LAHORE: Former railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Salman Rafique have filed a bail petition in Lahore High Court (LHC) in Paragon Housing Scheme case, ARY News reported on Monday.

Khawaja Saad and Salman Rafique said in their petitions that they were arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Paragon Housing Scheme case, but the accountability watchdog failed to prove its corruption charges against them.

“We extended the NAB complete cooperation and assistance in its investigation and provided all records,” they petitioned.

They pleaded to the court to issue orders for their release from jail on bail.

An accountability court sent Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Salman Rafique on judicial remand to jail. Accountability judge rejecting the NAB’s plea for further physical remand of the duo, granted 14-day judicial remand and sent them to jail.

Khawaja brothers are being investigated by the accountability watchdog for alleged corruption in Paragon Housing Society and accumulating wealth beyond known sources of income.

Saad Rafique and Salman Rafique were arrested on Dec 11 after the Lahore High Court rejected their bail plea.

NAB had launched an investigation into the alleged scam in November last year after a number of victims staged protests and held a press conference at the Lahore Press Club against the fraud committed by the housing society.

Last year, the anti-graft authority arrested former Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general Ahad Khan Cheema and others over allegations of corruption in the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Society scam.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Cheema had misused his authority and received huge sums of money in return for awarding the contract of the project to Casa Developers.

The amount was allegedly paid from the account of the Paragon Housing Society.