KARACHI: An anti-corruption court on Tuesday issued non-boilable arrest warrant of the absconding accused in $185 million corruption reference filed against former President National Bank Ali Raza and others high up of the bank on charges of corruption in NBP Bangladesh braches. The court heard the corruption case registered against Raza and 16 other officials, including seven Bangladeshi nationals. As per NAB reference, the accused had committed a corruption of over Rs18 billion. NAB Investigation Officer in the case submitted a report in the court. The IO said that the Bureau had started process to declare the absconders in the reference as Proclaimed Offenders. The IO said that seven Bangladeshi nationals were also among the absconders. He informed the court that the bureau had written letters to SARC countries for arrest of the absconding Bangladeshi national in the case. The IO said that former NBP president and senior executive vice president Zubair Ahmed were on bail in the case. The court while issuing non-bailable arrest warrants of the absconding accused in the case adjourned further hearing of the case till August 29th . NAB had filed the reference against the ex-NBP chief, former senior executive president Zubair Ahmed and other former officials, including Tahir Yaqboob and Qamar Hussain, on charges of committing a fraud of more than Rs18 billion. Saleemullah, Pardeeb and Qazi Nizamuddin are among the seven Bangladeshi nationals who are facing charges. The accused are said to have committed frauds at different branches of the bank in Bangladesh as well. Raza and other former officials are also accused of misusing their power for committing bank frauds and granting illegal loans.
Published in Daily Times, August 20th 2017.
