NAB arrests senior bureaucrat Fawad Hassan Fawad on corruption charges
Fawad had appeared before NAB today for questioning in Ashiana scam; NAB says bureaucrat's actions cost public exchequer losses worth billions of rupees
July 05, 2018
LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested on Thursday senior bureaucrat Fawad Hassan Fawad in various corruption cases, including the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme case.
NAB officials, after initially denying his arrest, said that the top civil servant was called to the bureau for questioning and later arrested for causing a loss of billions of rupees to the national exchequer in various scams.
Listing the corruption charges, NAB officials said Fawad wrongfully awarded the Ashiana contract to 'favourites', illegally awarded contracts for nine CNG stations and also illegally worked in a private bank from 2005 to 2006.
Moreover, while being the provincial health secretary, Fawad acquired six mobile health units which were purchased at a higher-than-market rate, according to NAB.
NAB Lahore director general informed that Fawad will be presented in an accountability court tomorrow to obtain his physical remand for further investigation.
Fawad had been summoned by NAB today for questioning in the housing scheme scam. He appeared before NAB at least two times earlier as part of NAB's investigation but also skipped several summons.
Fawad served as former PM Nawaz Sharif's principal secretary and is considered close to the former premier.
Fawad was removed from the post of principal secretary on June 1 this year and appointed director general of Civil Services Academy, Lahore.
Fawad is wanted for his alleged role in illegally awarding the contract for Ashiana-e-Iqbal Housing Scheme of the Punjab government.
Fawad was also being probed by NAB for possession of assets beyond known sources of income as well as for alleged illegal award of CNG contracts.
According to NAB, the contract for the housing scheme was won by a construction company titled Chaudhry Latif and Sons.
However, NAB says then Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his aides awarded the Rs14 billion contract to Lahore Casa Developers — a proxy group of Paragon City (Pvt) Limited, which is said to be owned by Railways Minister Saad Rafique.
Fawad, who was implementation secretary to the chief minister Punjab at the time, levelled charges of wrongdoings against Chaudhry Latif and Sons in order for the contract to be awarded to Casa Developers.
Shehbaz has already appeared before NAB in the case while former Lahore Development Authority chairman Ahad Cheema is on judicial remand after having been arrested over the case.
