LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau has recovered pay orders worth Rs1 billion from the management of the notorious Eden Housing Society involved in real estate fraud with the people.
According to the details, NAB Lahore had started an inquiry against the management of Eden Housing Society in January 2019 on hundreds of complaints of fraud and deception by the public against the management of the society.
However, the number of complaints later increased and when thousands of complaints were received from the victims, the scandal was brought under investigation by the NAB Lahore and a total of Rs1 billion worth of claims were submitted by 11,888 victims during the investigation.
The NAB spokesperson informed that as per the directions of NAB Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal, the ongoing probe into the Eden Housing Scandal by NAB Lahore was expedited to a logical conclusion.
“In October 2019, the claims of 11,888 victims were made part of the reference and a reference worth Rs25 billion as per the total market value of the properties was filed in a Lahore accountability court.
“In the reference, [late] Dr Amjad and his wife Anjum Amjad along with Murtaza Amjad and Mustafa Amjad were nominated as accused and according to the reference details, projects like Edenabad, Eden Residencia, Eden Gardens, Eden Gardens (extension) and Eden Villas were introduced by Eden administration from 2008 to 2015 and in Lahore and Faisalabad, huge investments were collected in instalments by tricking the public into booking plots and houses in the name of the said projects,” he informed.
The spokesperson further informed that despite the passage of a long time, the administration did not provide plots to the victims, nor did they return their houses and their investments.
“Similarly, funds were illegally collected from the victims by the Eden administration even though the land for the projects was not available. During the investigation, the accused managed to escape abroad,” he added.
Meanwhile, in March 2021, the Accountability Court Lahore issued orders to sell the properties owned by the accused. The accused, Dr Amjad, had filed an application with the Lahore High Court seeking conditional bail, number 36151/2021.
“On the bail application of the accused, the Hon’ble Court had on June 3, 2021, issued orders to the accused and his wife to deposit Rs1 billion in the official account of Chairman NAB as surety,” he added.
According to the spokesperson, all the properties owned by Eden Housing Limited and its owners were still frozen by NAB which could not be sold or transferred without the permission of NAB.
“The NAB deems it necessary to clarify that the first priority of the NAB is the interests of the people and the public, the protection of which will not be compromised. NAB chairman and Lahore NAB director-general are personally monitoring all the developments in the Eden scandal and are also issuing orders from time to time in this regard.
However, key developments in the Eden Housing Scandal have been implemented by NAB Lahore in the light of the directions of the NAB chairman In which, according to the decision of the LHC, the NAB has initially recovered a pay order worth Rs1 billion from the Eden Housing administration,” he concluded.
