"Maybe his role was minimal or inadvertent?"
Well then he can say that, can't he? Why is he keeping mum??
Here is a followup story by Klasra that tells more about the scam (and about Fahim keeping quiet; and of course the accusation against NAB is by one of the culprits):
Is NAB playing clean in the dirty billion rupee deal?
Thursday, June 10, 2010
By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: The alleged dirty billion rupee land deal in the commerce ministry took another interesting turn as Mohsin Warriach, son of former federal minister Habibullah Warraich and son-in-law of ex-health minister Naseer Khan, who had sold 803 kanals of land to National Insurance Company (NIC) at the rate of Rs2.2million per kanal in the suburbs of Lahore, went after the National Accpountability Bureau (NAB) by accusing it of not conducting a fair inquiry into the deal before submitting its report to the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
In its report, NAB had accused M/s Privileges Farms owned by Mohsin Warriach of wrongful actions. In a telephonic conversation with The News from Dubai, Mohsin claimed that he was not given a fair chance to give his side of the story before the inquiry report was sent to CJ Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.
Sources claimed that the alleged incompetence of the NIC top management may have as much to do with landing in such dubious deals as outright corruption. It was told that NIC affairs saw a downward slide after the minister appointed a former manager of a night club to run the entity. Minister, Makhdoom Amin Fahim refused to talk on the land scam and other related issues of the NIC when this correspondent contacted him for his comments.
The NAB, in its report to SC, had claimed that the land was sold at the exorbitant price of Rs2.2million per kanal against the market price of Rs300,000-400,000 per kanal in the same area. As news about the controversial deal started circulating, CJ Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhary ordered NAB to conduct an inquiry. Apart from SC, the Senate standing committee on commerce led by senator Ilyas Bilour was also conducting an inquiry into the whole land deal and had formed a sub committee headed by Senator Haroon Akhtar to give its findings.
Meanwhile, Mohsin Warriach has claimed that NAB did not get his version before sending its report to the apex court. Talking to The News, he explained that the NICL through media advertisements had invited proposals for sale of land on 13th December 2009. Privilege Farms Pvt. Ltd (owned by Mohsin Warraich) submitted its bids along with site plan asking for Rs2.4 million per kanal for a consolidated 803 kanals prime parcel of land on the main Link Road of Ferozepur Road and Raiwind Road. He said the Privilege Farms Pvt. Ltd asked for this price in view of the infrastructure facilities like laying of a 240 feet dual carriageway have been announced by the government of Punjab. He claimed there is no landowner with such land holding other than Privilege Farms Pvt. Ltd. He said other landowners had quoted even higher prices.
Mohsin said 40 landowners have filed a case in the Lahore High Court against the government of Punjab through Secretary Communication Punjab and Land Acquisition Collector, Highways Department Lahore. He claimed that independent evaluation of similarly situated land conducted by PBA-approved valuator on behalf of bank of Punjab in 2006 for Power Pack Company confirmed the value of land in the area to be in this price range. Subsequently, the sale deed was signed between Privilege Farms Pvt. Ltd. and NICL on 1st March 2010.
Commenting on the role of NAB, Mohsin Warriach said the Privilege Farms on a telephonic enquiry by Salahuddin Mughal, Assistant Director Investigation, National Accountability Bureau Sindh, submitted the details to NAB Sindh. He said no documents or supporting evidence was asked nor the details provided by the Privilege Farms were forwarded to NAB, Islamabad and to the Supreme Court. The Karachi and Lahore offices of NAB conducted inquiry into the accounts of Privilege Farms though they were not part of the inquiry, he said. This harassment was challenged in the court and a petition in this regard is still pending in the Sindh High Court, he said. He claimed all this was done under the cover of discreet enquiry. Privilege Farms contacted NICL on such harassment by NAB and they were told that they were aware of such one-sided enquiry by NAB, Sindh and that they have sent a petition to chairman NAB and Prosecutor General NAB that facts are being overlooked by NAB and they must be considered. But NAB submitted it report to the Supreme Court without including our version, he claimed.
Meanwhile, a spokesman of NIC told The News that since the Supreme Court was seized with the matter, propriety demands that a detailed reply to the allegations made in the said secret report be submitted by NICL in the Court as soon as it is appropriate. However, in the meantime, for the sake of record and good order NICL reiterates that the transaction in question is transparent and that there is no lack of legality, transparency or propriety in the said transaction. In particular the price of land determined, agreed upon, and paid to the seller of the land (the owner) is and, at all material times, was the appropriate and reasonable market value thereof. In conducting and concluding the said transaction all provisions of law and the memorandum and articles of association and the procedural formalities have been followed by NICL.
So this much is CLEAR: It is Makhdoom Amin Fahim who appointed this kid in his 20's who before this was running a nightclub ('Kanjarkhana'?) in Dubai and is in NO WAY qualified to hold this position....
Hear is what Transparency International has to say about NIC:
Transparency points to corruption of billions in NIC
Friday, May 07, 2010
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Transparency International Pakistan has pointed out corruption of billions of rupees in the National Insurance Company Limited after violating the Public Procurement Rules, 2004.
NICL Chairman Ayaz Khan Niazi has been repeatedly asked by the TIP to explain the violation of the PPRA rules and the subsequent loss suffered by the public sector company but did not pay heed to the queries.
TIP Chairman Syed Adil Gilani has written letters to NICL, Registrar Supreme Court, National Accountability Bureau, Chairman Public Accounts Committee and Auditor General of Pakistan, enlisting the details of corruption of billions of rupees.
The letter states, "The NICL has been avoiding to provide clarifications of alleged losses caused to the exchequer in one year, communicated vide TIP letters dated February 16 and March 4 of 2010, and nor to PPRA on PPRA's letter No F.1(18)/DD-II/PPRA/2010 dated February 17, which gives credence to the allegations of massive corruption going on in PIC since last one year.
It is also reported that one of the Directors of the PIC has resigned in protest of non compliance of rules by PIC in Procurement of 803 Kanal-19 Marla Plot in Lahore. "The allegations reported to you by the TIP in the last six months and not clarified as yet by NIC are quoted below; Procurement of 803 Kanal -19 Marla Plot in Lahore reportedly belonging to ex-MNA Habibullah Warraich having a current market value is Rs300,000 per Kanal, whereas NICL is buying it at Rs2,000,000 per Kanal.
2. 27,000sq ft of office space in Dubai in Liberty Tower was purchased in July 2009 at 2,700 dirhams per sq ft as against the market price of 1,200 dirham per sq ft. Alleged Loss to exchequer of Rs900 million.
3. 10-acre plot purchased in Korangi Deh Phihai, in August 2009 at Rs20,000,000 per acre, against maximum market price of Rs 90,000,000 per acre. Loss of Rs70,000,000.
4. Award of contracts of painting works and furniture to M/s Casa Bella Lahore, Karachi at Rs26.987 million, and at Islamabad at Rs9,310,000. M/s Casa Bella is not a license holder of the Pakistan Engineering Council. The tender for Karachi was for six floors but the contractor has been asked to paint only four floors.
5. Rs1.5 billion land purchased in Lahore in 2009 from Mohsin Warraich. The market value of the plot is Rs 30 million. Loss to exchequer Rs1.2 billion.
On Transparency International Pakistan's complaint dated 8th and 23rd October 2009, the award of the HVAC contract to M/s Roma Business Consultants reported at Rs120 million higher cost, who was not even a PEC licensed Contractor was terminated by PIC vide its letter No Bldg/36/(29)/HVAC/2009 dated 12 Nov 2009. TIP requests you to kindly report administrative action taken against the PIC officers for this illegal award."
The TIP letter has also quoted the judgment announced by the Supreme Court on April 28, in case of award of LNG contract to GDF-Suez, in which the Court announced that it was the duty of the Court to ensure the application of Public Procurement Rules 2004.
Posted 1 year ago on 10 Jun 2010 5:17
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