A major development has emerged in the Rs38 billion Kohistan financial scandal case, sources said on Tuesday.
According to sources, the Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has approved a plea bargain request filed by a key accused in the case.
The accused, identified as Mumtaz, is currently in NAB custody. He had submitted a plea bargain application to return Rs4.05 billion of the looted amount.
Sources said the NAB chairman accepted the plea bargain request. The final approval will be granted after the accountability court approves the decision. After which, the looted money will be returned, sources said.
According to sources, the accused, Mumtaz, is part of the front of C&W official Qaiser Iqbal.
NAB recovers another Rs 200 million
Previously, another major breakthrough emerged in the Rs 40 billion corruption case in Kohistan, where the National Accountability Bureau recovered an additional Rs 200 million from the house of the main accused, Qaiser Iqbal.
Sources said Rs 100 million was recovered in two separate operations. Earlier, NAB had also recovered Rs 1.6 billion from his house.
The cash was hidden inside paint cans. It was located after Qaiser Iqbal’s arrested wife pointed it out to investigators.
According to NAB, Qaiser Iqbal was posted as a clerk and later as a head clerk in the C&W Department in Upper Kohistan from August 2013.
During his service, he allegedly helped withdraw money from the government treasury by using fake documents.
Sources said large sums were transferred to the bank accounts of Qaiser Iqbal’s wife and a contractor named Mumtaz.
Allegations have also surfaced that several influential individuals benefited from the scandal.
