RAWALPINDI:
The investigation into a mega financial scandal involving the transfer of Rs 2 billion from the official accounts of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) to private companies and personal accounts through Call Deposit Receipts (CDRs) has widened.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has completed the interrogation of all former directors general and directors of administration and finance of the GDR.
The current DG RDA, Kunza Murtaza, appeared before the NAB as a complainant.
Even though the high-level inquiry committee of the Punjab Chief Secretary is yet to conclude its probe five months after its establishment, the NAB has intensified its investigations.
Two suspects have already been arrested.
According to sources, the scandal – which emerged in May this year – has raised serious questions about the negligence and malpractice of officers with the authority to approve bank transactions.
The NAB questioned former directors general Saif Anwar Jappa, Tahir Zafar Abbasi, Nadeem Ahmed Abro, Amara Khan and Chaudhry Maqbool Ahmed Dhawala, while former directors administration and finance Asif Janjua, Malik Ghazanfar Awan, Imran Marth and Imran Qureshi were also questioned.
The noose is tightening around those allegedly involved in the GDR scandal.
It is noteworthy that the RDA financial scandal, which had gone undetected for six years by senior officials with signing authority on financial matters, particularly the RDA Director General and the Director of Finance, was discovered in the second week of May this year. Notably, over the entire six years covered by the scandal, no former CEO or director of administration and finance was called to account.
In July, the GDR administration began implementing key reforms to restore financial discipline. Initially, the implementation of irregular promotion was stopped and a revised financial authority framework was introduced.
Escrow accounts
On the other hand, the National Accountability Bureau has directed the Rawalpindi Development Authority and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to establish escrow accounts and introduce QR code systems for all approved housing projects.
The directive was issued at a high-level meeting chaired by the DG to discuss the creation of a digital portal for online verification of housing projects and individual plots.
Chairman Rawalpindi NAB highlighted transparency, accountability and public trust in the real estate sector.
He asked CDA and RDA officials to provide accurate and regularly updated data for the new system, ensuring public access to real-time information on approved projects.
The DG further directed the two authorities to establish escrow accounts to monitor financial transactions of housing schemes and integrate QR codes for public verification.
He said the initiative would help combat corruption, fraud and unauthorized development activities.
Senior officials from NAB, CDA, RDA and their IT departments attended the meeting, which discussed the technical framework and coordination mechanisms for rapid implementation.
