PESHAWAR: Four suspects involved in a massive $40 billion Kohistan corruption case have approached the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) with requests for a plea bargain.
The accused include Qaiser, the head clerk of the Communication and Works (C&W) department, and three other individuals identified as his benami (proxy) partners, including his wife.
Sources said the accused have expressed their willingness to settle the charges by returning the illicitly obtained amounts.
In their plea bargain applications, the accused have stated that they are prepared to repay the money owed to the national exchequer. The Bureau will now examine the financial records and assets of the accused before making any decisions.
NAB’s investigation into the scandal has revealed that Qaiser, along with other accomplices, siphoned off substantial sums under the guise of development projects in Kohistan.
These projects, however, exist only on paper, with no physical infrastructure on the ground. The investigation also claims that Qaiser used these fraudulent schemes to amass enormous wealth, accumulating both movable and immovable assets in his name, his wife’s, and other relatives’ names.
Sources indicated that after an in-depth review of the case and assets, and with approval from NAB’s chairman, the Bureau may proceed with the plea bargain.
However, the final decision remains contingent on the results of asset verification and the repatriation of the misappropriated funds.
