A new land purchase corruption case of 3 billion 61 crores has reportedly come to light in the construction of the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway.
The construction of Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway M-6 came under the China-Pakistan corridor CPEC project and was executed in former premier Imran khan’s era.
National Highway Authority (NHA) allotted 3 billion 61 crore Rs funds to Deputy Commissioner Feroz Tashfeen to purchase 1500 acres of land for the motorway.
However, according to media sources, corruption might have occurred because this money wasn’t used as per law and regulations.
Additionally, Deputy Commissioner Nowshahro Feroze Tashfeen Alam had been suspended for being unavailable for the past four days.
Earlier, Sindh Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) arrested Deputy Commissioner Adnan Rasheed of Matiari district after the mega corruption of 2.14 billion rupees in the land acquisition for the M6 Sukkur- Hyderabad Motorway was revealed.
ACE was unable to detain Mansoor Abbassi the assistant commissioner for the New Saeedabad Taluka who had been appointed as the land purchase officer, or a representative of the Sindh Bank.
ACE also arrested DC’s Secretary Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah, the DC office’s accountant Syed Jurial Ali Shah, and DC’s driver Wazeer Bugti from Matiari.
The investigation was launched when complaints of the theft of Rs1.82 billion from the NHA’s assets reached the chief secretary Sohail Rajput.
DC Matiari received a payment of Rs. 4.09 billion from the National Highway Authority (NHA) for the acquisition of the highway’s land but as per reports he allegedly stole Rs. 1.82 billion from the bank.
The investigation committee discovered that 438 checks totalling Rs. 2.14 billion were fraudulently issued.
After the report Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah ordered Chief Secretary to take action against allegedly corrupt officers.
A JIT headed by Chairman Anti–Corruption Muhammad Nawaz Shaikh was set up to investigate.
An FIR was also filed against DC Rasheed, AC Abbassi, and assistant manager of Sindh Bank Matiari Tabish Shah.
DC Rasheed was also removed from their posts and DC Shaheed Benazirabad Shaharyar Gul Memon on Thursday assumed the charge of acting DC Matiari.
As per FIR, Up till October 12, 2022, Rs4.6348 billion was in the DC’s NHA-related account.
The sum comprised a profit of Rs542.189 million made over the bank’s deposit.
But over the course of 26 days, from October 17 to November 13, the revenue officer was able to discharge Rs2.14 billion through 438 checks thanks to the collaboration with a bank official.
The motorway project included 15 interchanges, one major bridge over the Indus River, 82 bridges over canals, 19 overpass bridges, 6 flyovers, and 10 service areas.
