LWMC Embezzlement Case: NAB Lhr Arrests GM Procurement Over Illegal Evaluation Charges
Suspect incurred Rs1 billion loss to the national kitty, NAB alleges
LAHORE– The National Accountability Bureau Lahore Monday arrested General Manager (GM) Procurement & Contracts Lahore Waste Management Company Muhammad Tahir Maqbool over allegations of alleged corrupt practices in illegal evaluation of charges.
As per the case details, accused Maqbool was associated with LWMC as General Manager, Procurement and Consultant, whereas, accused also worked as ‘Consultant’ with Rawalpindi Waste Management.
During the course of investigations it was revealed that the accused incurred colossal loss amounting to Rs one billion (approx) to the state kitty by wrongly preparing bidding documents having instructions to the bidder to offer price without labour cost despite the fact that labour cost was included in the cost estimates.
In this way, huge illegal benefit was granted to the Contractor to the tune of Rs1 billion approximately on account of double payment to the said contractor illegally at the cost of state exchequer.
Moreover, due to incorporation of the said discounted bid amounting to $81 million without labour cost was accepted, which otherwise should have taken place as rough cost estimates were formulated with the inclusion of labour cost.
It is also alleged that accused Tahir Maqbool attended the Board of Directors’ meeting held on 26th of April 2014 in which he deliberately concealed the facts from the participants of the said meeting that labour cost was included in the cost estimates of the projects, whereas, bid of M/s Albayrak had not include labour cost.
Thereby, the accused caused loss amounting to Rs 1 billion approximately to the state exchequer by malafidely comparing cost estimates amounting to $77 million having labour cost with reduced bid price of Albayrak amounting to $81 Million without inclusion of labour cost.
It is pertinent to mention here that accused Tahir Maqbool being GM Procurement & Contracts with ill intentions issued bidding documents to bidder Albayrak without taking requisite approval from Board of Directors.
Earlier, the NAB Investigators had arrested three other senior Officials in the said case from which investigations are underway.
Accused Tahir Maqbool would be produced before an Accountability Court for obtaining his physical remand to keep the Investigations continue.— PRESS RELEASE
