NAB files reference against Double Shah

[Naveed Yaseen]

THE National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Punjab, has filed a reference in the Accountability Court against Syed Sibt-ul Hassan alias Double Shah and his seven accomplices accused of misappropriating around Rs 5.439 billion obtained from people by cheating them.

This reference is an integral part of the interim reference filed against the principal accused, Double Shah, in 2007 that is pending before the Accountability Court. According to the reference, Double Shah and all other accused with abetment, aid and assistance of each other lured and induced people to invest cash with them and misappropriated their investments. Double Shah was arrested on April 13, 2007, while accused Chan Pir alias Intezar Shah, a close relative of Double Shah, was arrested on October 4, 2007.

Accused Zia-ul-Gillani and Iffat Gillani are brother and daughter of accused Double Shah and were arrested on July 15, 2008. Zameer-ul-Hassan is the nephew of Double Shah while Shahid Jamil is his friend. Ihsan Ullah Ranjha and Muhammad Shabir Cheema are close associates of Double Shah.

An investigation by the NAB proved that 4,401 persons including 126 agents submitted their claims against the accused for an amount of Rs 5.439 billion.

The NAB investigation also proved that Double Shah made investments worth Rs 379.69 million in his name and in the names of Benamidar from the amount so collected by cheating people. He also had a total balance of Rs 63.298 million in his own name in 10 bank accounts in various bank/branches besides having cash balance of $ 260,744.6, EURO 506.95 and British Pounds 503.28 in his foreign currency accounts. Chan Pir had a bank balance of Rs 245.53 million and $ 0.043 million in his name and in Benami accounts.

Zia-ul-Hassan Gillani purchased moveable/immoveable property worth Rs 19.1 million. Ihsan Ullah and Shabir Cheema also had real estate property worth millions of rupees in their names and in the names Benamidars. Thus, all the accused with active assistance and abetment of each other cheated members of public at large and gained illegal pecuniary advantages.

PTA’s decision on tariff increase demanded: The Lahore High Court on Monday ordered the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to decide till December 28 on an application of the DHA Estate Agents Association against the increase in tariff of the universal access numbers (UAN).

The association, through its president Maj (retd) Waseem Anwar Chaudhry, submitted that all the members of the association were using the UANs and the PTA, without any prior notice, had started charging bills according to increased rates.

The petitioner said an application against the move was pending before the chairman of the authority but no decision had been made so far. He prayed to the court to direct the PTA to make a decision on the application immediately.

Drug pusher sentenced: Additional District and Sessions Judge Ashtar Abbass on Monday awarded 18 months imprisonment to a drug dealer besides imposing Rs25,000 fine on him. Convict Muhammad Saleem was arrested with over 5kg charas by the Kahna police in 2007. The court sentenced him jail after he confessed to committing the crime. In case of default, he will have to undergo three months more imprisonment.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=152165