DPO faces a rough ride over motor scam
Posted By On July 6, 2011 LAHORE, July 5: As the Lahore Canal Motors scam involving a serving police officer is already under investigation, the Punjab National Accountability Bureau has come up with a similar Rs380 million motor scandal involving a former Sialkot SP now posted as Muzaffargarh district police officer.
The inquiry against the motor company selling vehicles of a famous brand began in September last year wherein DPO Rao Munir Zia is alleged to have misused his authority during his posting as Sialkot SP investigation and received monetary
benefits from the accused at the cost of affected people, an official letter available to Dawn reads.
Mr Zia did not appear before Investigation Officer Malik Waheed Ahmad at the Thokar Niaz Baig office.
The Muzaffargarh DPO denies all charges.
The inquiry into the Sialkot Suzuki Motors scam initiated in September 2010 with the first advertisement published in newspapers invited 129 claimants from Sialkot and Daska. The claimants allege that the showroom owner refused to deliver them their vehicles which they had booked through the showroom.
Sources said another advertisement was going to appear in the press soon inviting the remaining claimants to approach the investigators.
NAB Director Squadron Leader Muhammad Irshadul Haq (retired) wrote to the Dera Ghazi Khan regional police officer (RPO) on June 20, 2011, that Mr Zia was allegedly involved in the motors scam involving principal accused Sultan Mahmood (late) and others.
The letter states: During the course of proceedings many affected people of the scam allege that DPO Zia misused his authority during his posting as Sialkot SP through illegally deploying state functionaries/police personnel in uniform as well as in civvies on the premises of the showroom.Sources said principal accused Saima Sultan, the wife of late Sultan Mahmood and also co-partner in the motor business, had been appearing in the inquiry regularly.
They said the regular inquiry regarding provisional claims would be initiated after the submission of claims after a second advertisement. They said in the absence of the NAB chairman and the director general, the process of inquiry came to a standstill as the authority had to decide the inquiries fell in the preview of high-ups.
A claimant, who wished not to be named because of security concerns, told this reporter he had submitted his claim to NAB one year ago after Saima failed to deliver vehicles to clients against their booking letters.
He said he had visited the showroom several times along with others, but the woman owner did not deliver them vehicles.
Another claimant said he was once manhandled by some guards, who appeared to be policemen in plainclothes, when he visited the showroom in April 2010. He said a board was displayed outside the showroom prohibiting the entrance of the claimants to the showroom.
He said the woman was still doing the showroom business which was not being noticed by NAB.
Muzaffargarh DPO Munir Ahmad Zia Rao, when contacted, said it was a baseless scandal. He questioned how he could appear before the investigation officer when he was in a training session.
I reserve the legal right to fight any allegation, he concluded.(http://www.dawn.com/2011/07/06/dpo-faces-a-rough-ride-over-motor-scam.html/print/)
Posted By On July 6, 2011 LAHORE, July 5: As the Lahore Canal Motors scam involving a serving police officer is already under investigation, the Punjab National Accountability Bureau has come up with a similar Rs380 million motor scandal involving a former Sialkot SP now posted as Muzaffargarh district police officer.
The inquiry against the motor company selling vehicles of a famous brand began in September last year wherein DPO Rao Munir Zia is alleged to have misused his authority during his posting as Sialkot SP investigation and received monetary
benefits from the accused at the cost of affected people, an official letter available to Dawn reads.
Mr Zia did not appear before Investigation Officer Malik Waheed Ahmad at the Thokar Niaz Baig office.
The Muzaffargarh DPO denies all charges.
The inquiry into the Sialkot Suzuki Motors scam initiated in September 2010 with the first advertisement published in newspapers invited 129 claimants from Sialkot and Daska. The claimants allege that the showroom owner refused to deliver them their vehicles which they had booked through the showroom.
Sources said another advertisement was going to appear in the press soon inviting the remaining claimants to approach the investigators.
NAB Director Squadron Leader Muhammad Irshadul Haq (retired) wrote to the Dera Ghazi Khan regional police officer (RPO) on June 20, 2011, that Mr Zia was allegedly involved in the motors scam involving principal accused Sultan Mahmood (late) and others.
The letter states: During the course of proceedings many affected people of the scam allege that DPO Zia misused his authority during his posting as Sialkot SP through illegally deploying state functionaries/police personnel in uniform as well as in civvies on the premises of the showroom.Sources said principal accused Saima Sultan, the wife of late Sultan Mahmood and also co-partner in the motor business, had been appearing in the inquiry regularly.
They said the regular inquiry regarding provisional claims would be initiated after the submission of claims after a second advertisement. They said in the absence of the NAB chairman and the director general, the process of inquiry came to a standstill as the authority had to decide the inquiries fell in the preview of high-ups.
A claimant, who wished not to be named because of security concerns, told this reporter he had submitted his claim to NAB one year ago after Saima failed to deliver vehicles to clients against their booking letters.
He said he had visited the showroom several times along with others, but the woman owner did not deliver them vehicles.
Another claimant said he was once manhandled by some guards, who appeared to be policemen in plainclothes, when he visited the showroom in April 2010. He said a board was displayed outside the showroom prohibiting the entrance of the claimants to the showroom.
He said the woman was still doing the showroom business which was not being noticed by NAB.
Muzaffargarh DPO Munir Ahmad Zia Rao, when contacted, said it was a baseless scandal. He questioned how he could appear before the investigation officer when he was in a training session.
I reserve the legal right to fight any allegation, he concluded.(http://www.dawn.com/2011/07/06/dpo-faces-a-rough-ride-over-motor-scam.html/print/)
