KARACHI: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has begun a probe against government officials, and businessmen who paid money to fake officials of the accountability watchdog in order to prevent progress in graft cases against them, ARY NEWS reported on Saturday.
According to sources within NAB, the accountability watchdog has busted a gang operated by a man named Khalid Solangi, who used to blackmail businessmen and government officials in the name of the authority.
“He minted money from the officials and businessmen and the NAB is now investigating it,” they said adding that Solangi’s son Aamir Hussain was also arrested from Lahore and they have recovered 400 SIMs from his possession that were used to blackmail people.
They said that those who paid money to the blackmailer included additional home secretary Amir Khursheed, who has now left for the United States when issued a call-up notice over the matter.
The additional home secretary paid an amount of Rs8 million to blackmailers to stop investigations against him in a case pertaining to misappropriation in Lyari Development Authority, they said.
“Khalid Solangi and his son also received money from a district food inspector in Badin Munawar Mirani,” they said adding that he paid Rs5 million to the blackmailers and promised to pay Rs3 million more.
A trader Rafiq Qureshi, according to sources, also paid millions to Aamir Hussain.
It is pertinent to mention here that the NAB on May 03 claimed to have arrested Aamir Hussain for his alleged involvement in looting citizens by masquerading as the chairman and director-general of the corruption watchdog.
The gang’s ringleader Khalid Solangi blackmail people from Dubai and is involved in extorting money from several people, the national graft buster disclosed.
The NAB has written a letter to the Ministry of Interior to have Solangi’s passport cancelled. The letter further demands that Interpol be approached to bring the accused back to the country to stand trial.
