KP NAB authorises inquiries against PEDO officials, others

PESHAWAR: The National Accountability Bureau Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday authorised inquiries against Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organisation (PEDO), Education Department, Mineral Department and Regional Tax Office on charges of corruption and misuse of authority.

A press release said the decision was taken at regional board meeting of the bureau. Director General, NAB (KP), Farmanullah Khan, chaired the meeting. Directors, deputy prosecutor general, case officers, and other officers concerned were in attendance.

The board authorised inquiry against the PEDO officials and others for alleged corruption and misuse of authority. The subjects were alleged to have entered into an agreement with a joint venture in gross violation of laws. The firms were not registered with Pakistan Engineering Council. These did not have the required technical experience to undertake the project.

Another probe was authorised against officials of Mineral Department, Karak, and others for illegal mining. The subjects were alleged to have facilitated illegal mining in Umar Din Killay which was auctioned at Rs 15.2 million but the lease holder did not deposit any installment while illegal mining was carried out. The board also authorised inquiry against officials of the Education Department, Peshawar, and others for alleged misuse of authority. The officials allegedly procured land for school in Hazarkhwani Peshawar on the promise to give jobs to land owners in gross violation of laws.

It is pertinent to mention here that the issue had been referred to NAB (KP) by the Peshawar High Court. The board upgraded inquiry into investigation against officials of Regional Tax Office (RTO) in Peshawar and others for alleged misappropriation of taxes.

During the inquiry it was revealed that officials of RTO at Peshawar in connivance with others incurred loss of millions of rupees to the national exchequer through fake, fabricated and bogus bank receipts against each tax payment.

Besides these, the board approved filling of referenceagainst Muhammad Miraj, sub-inspector, Excise and Taxation Department, Peshawar, for alleged accumulation of assets beyond known sources of income worth millions of rupees. Another reference was approved against Akbar Khan and others for allegedly cheating public at large and embezzling public money worth millions of rupees.