Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway project: ACE recovers Rs420m from AC’s house

KARACHI: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) investigating the embezzlement of funds sanctioned for the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway, recovered Rs420 million from the official residence of AC Saeedabad on Sunday night. The recovery of the money led to the cancellation of his bail by the Special Court Anti-Corruption, Hyderabad

The Special Investigation team of Sindh Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) recovered Rs420 million from the official residence of AC Saeedabad Mansoor Ali Abbasi on Sunday night. The recovery was made on the plantation of former Deputy Commissioner of district Matiari Adnan Rasheed. The former DC was arrested on November 17, 2022 in connection with the embezzlement of Rs two billion meant for land acquisition of the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway (M-6) project.

The Special Investigation Team of Sindh ACE is headed by Deputy Director Javed Halipoto and comprises two assistant directors and four inspectors is conducting the probe. According to sources in Sindh ACE, former DC Adnan Rasheed disclosed that the embezzled money was kept hidden in the official residence of Assistant Commissioner Saeedabad Mansoor Ali Abbasi. Abbasi who also held the charge of Land Acquisition Officer was at large butg had obtained protective bail from the Sindh High Court.

However, on Monday Special Court Anti-Corruption, Hyderabad rejected the bail of Assistant Commissioner, Saeedabad Mansoor Abbasi, after the ACE legal team informed the court about the recovery of Rs 420 million from his official residence. The Special Court also rejected the bail of Tabish Shah, a senior officer of Sindh Bank Hyderabad region, who is also cited as an accused in the case.

According to sources, it all started after a savings account was opened in Sindh Bank Matiari under the title of ‘Deputy Commissioner Land Acquisition’ and the National Highway Authority where initially Rs1.35 billion was deposited followed by another deposit of Rs. 2.706 billion.

The ACE investigation alleges that former DC Matiari Adnan Rasheed with the connivance of AC Mansoor Abbasi and the officials of Sindh Bank opened another account in the name of ‘Land Acquisition Officer ’, without seeking the permission from the Sindh finance Department. Such a permission is mandatory under section 1(21) of the Anti-Money Laundering Law and Anti Terror Financing. On October 14, Adnan Rasheed unlawfully directed the Sindh Bank Matiari branch to open that account in the name of ‘Land Acquisition Officer Matiari’ and nominated Assistant Commissioner Mansoor Ali Abbasi as a signatory. On the same day Rs. 4.092 billion were transferred to that account from Adnan Rasheed’s account, the sources allege.

From here started a nearly month-long process of withdrawing Rs.2.149 billion by Mansoor Ali Abbasi through 428 cheques from October 17, to November 11, (26 days) leaving Rs1.943 billion in the account. The money eventually ended up at the residence of Mansoor Ali Abbasi from where the amount was recovered in the Sunday night raid by ACE Sindh.