LAHORE: The NAB on Saturday filed a corruption reference in a Lahore accountability court against Pervaiz Elahi, his son and 11 others on charges of receiving Rs1.23 billion in bribes and kickbacks in connection with development projects in his home district of Gujrat.
According to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the case involves allegations of misuse of authority and receiving kickbacks amounting to Rs1.230 billion.
This high-profile case centers on 116 development projects in Gujrat, funded under Supplementary Grants for the fiscal year 2022-23. The total cost of these projects was estimated at Rs30.948 billion. However, investigation revealed that the accused, including Ch Pervaiz Elahi and his associates received substantial kickbacks and bribes from these projects.
The inquiry, initiated by NAB Lahore, pointed out the alleged corrupt practices of Ch Pervaiz Elahi during his tenure as Chief Minister, along with his principal secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti, and various officers of the Punjab Highway Department. The NAB accused these individuals of sanctioning projects against rules, making advance payments without actual work, and thus, violating the law for personal gain.
A detailed breakdown of the alleged kickbacks received by each accused person shows staggering amounts, with Ch Pervaiz Elahi and his son Moonis Elahi topping the list with a combined total of over Rs744 million. The list includes names and designations of all involved, with amounts ranging from millions to hundreds of millions.
In a turn of events, Ashfaq Ahmed, a Sub-Engineer from Gujrat, confessed to involvement in the corruption and agreed to return Rs50 million through a plea bargain with NAB. Additionally, two key figures – Sohail Akram and Mahr Azmat Hayat, both former engineers, have turned approvers against the main accused, revealing further depths of the scandal.
Moonis Elahi, now declared a Proclaimed Offender, has reportedly absconded abroad, along with his accountant Imtiaz Ali Shah.
The NAB Lahore’s prosecution team, led by DG Amjad Majeed Aulakh, has filed the reference in the Accountability Court based on solid evidence, marking a significant step in the battle against corruption. This case not only highlights the ongoing efforts to hold powerful figures accountable but also underscores the challenges in uprooting systemic corruption in key development sectors.
Background of the case
The ex-chief minister was arrested in this case in August last, subsequently being granted bail by the court. The PTI president is, presently, facing several cases, including an FIA money laundering case and allegations of illegal appointments in the Punjab Assembly.
Initially taken into custody on June 1 this year, the former Punjab CM has faced a series of releases and re-arrests, remaining in detention ever since. The legal challenges coincided with the state’s crackdown on the PTI that followed the violent May 9 protests that saw important government and military installations vandalised.
According to the NAB reference filed with the Lahore court, the suspects “with dishonest intent and by misusing their authority to collect kickbacks,” sanctioned additional schemes of the Highways Department in two constituencies of Gujrat under the supervision of Elahi, his son Moonis and their close aides.
“They misused their authority and official positions to get appointed their confidant and trustworthy officers in Punjab Highways Department, with dishonest intentions to get illegal monetary gains / kickbacks / commissions for themselves,” the reference claimed.
The watchdog said the “evidence collected and witnesses recorded in the case speak volumes of unlawful actions/misuse of authority with dishonest/illegal intent on the part of accused persons.”
It further alleged that the accused persons allegedly “received kickbacks and commissions as illegal gains and possessed the crime proceeds into different bank accounts to create a financial layering”.
In the reference, NAB Chairman Lt-Gen (r) Nazir Ahmed said: “It would be proper and just to proceed further against the accused persons as there is sufficient incriminating material available on record to justify filing of reference against them.”
The NAB has also called for a court trial for the suspects, urging “punishment” in accordance with the law.
After the reference was filed, the watchdog issued a press statement alleging the former CM and his son’s involvement in harming the national exchequer. The statement urged the court to expedite the investigation against the suspects in light of the reference provided by the NAB.
