Former Chief Minister of Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, and several others are likely to face accountability trial for alleged financial misconduct.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has officially lodged a corruption reference in a court.
Elahi is accused of abusing his authority and receiving kickbacks amounting to Rs1.23 billion in the context of 116 development projects in Gujrat.
The inquiry, initiated by NAB Lahore, focused on reported offenses involving corruption and corrupt practices allegedly committed by Pervaiz Elahi, his son Moonis Elahi, and Muhammad Khan Bhatti, who served as the principal secretary to the then-chief minister.
Additionally, officers and officials from the Punjab Highway Department are also implicated in these charges.
The corruption allegations revolve around development schemes launched with supplementary grants in Gujrat district during the fiscal year 2022-23, as per the reports from the Communication and Works (C&W) Department, Government of Punjab.
The investigation uncovered that Elahi and his associates received substantial kickbacks, bribes, or commissions related to 116 development schemes in Gujrat, with a total estimated cost of Rs30.948 billion.
However, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Moonis Elahi, Muhammad Khan Bhatti, and 11 officers and officials from the C&W Department allegedly received Rs1.23 billion as kickbacks or bribes.
One of the accused, Ashfaq Ahmed, a Sub-Engineer in Gujrat, confessed to his involvement in corruption and corrupt practices. He has opted for a plea bargain with NAB, offering to return illegal gains worth Rs50 million, which has been approved by the accountability court in Lahore.
Sohail Akram, the former chief engineer, and Mahr Azmat Hayat, ex-sub engineer (XEN), have become approvers against the prime accused.
Moonis Elahi has been declared a proclaimed offender by the accountability court, having intentionally absconded abroad and evaded participation in the investigation. Additionally, Imtiaz Ali Shah, the accountant of Moonis Elahi, is also on the run to avoid joining the investigation.
In response to these developments, Moonis Elahi vehemently refuted the corruption allegations, asserting that the €1 million, along with other funds in various accounts, has been duly declared.
He stated on the microblogging platform X, “Today NAB has issued a press release stating that my father and I are involved in corruption and they have filed a reference against us claiming an amount of 744 million. Apparently this involves 1 million euros in my account . The million euros are mine along with all funds in our accounts. They have been declared in FBR with source of funds and money trail.”
He claimed the NAB went to court and gave a statement clearing us of all charges when they filed application of 9C.
