FIA detains CFO and two bankers in Creek Marina fraud case
In a development related to the alleged fraud involving billions
of rupees and money laundering abroad in the long-standing Creek Marina luxury
apartments project located in DHA Phase VIII, several arrests have been made.
The FIA's Banking Crime Circle and Cyber Crime Wing have
initiated further action against the owners of Singaporean builder MeinHardt
Group, resulting in the apprehension of Nudrat Mand Khan, the accused Chief
Financial Officer of Creek Marina, along with Salman Khan. Additionally, a
number of bank officials have been detained on suspicion of facilitating money
laundering activities.
The individuals behind the Creek Marina project, including Dr.
Naseem Shehzad, his son Umar Shehzad, and Ayesha Warsi, are already on the run,
facing multiple cases of alleged fraud and money laundering involving
substantial sums in connection with the Creek Marina project. The project,
initiated by Singaporean builder MeinHardt, commenced nearly two decades ago in
DHA Phase VIII, Pakistan. Billions of rupees, collected from citizens in the
form of bookings and installments, were allegedly misappropriated, revealing a
web of deception.
The investigation into these activities has spanned several
years, with significant progress made following the formation of a Joint
Inquiry Team by DG FIA on June 25, 2023. The team, consisting of FIA's Crime
Banking Circle, uncovered that the funds collected from the public for booking
and construction of Creek Marina were associated with MeinHardt Singapore
Private Limited, the company behind the project.
As evidence of irregularities and violations of State Bank and
Board of Investment regulations emerged, several companies were implicated in
the project's completion, along with allegations against bank officials who
purportedly facilitated the opening of bank accounts for the project.
Consequently, FIA's cybercrime wing initiated actions based on complaints from
citizens, leading to the registration of multiple cases against those accused
of swindling the public through enticing mega housing project schemes.
In this ongoing investigation, the Banking Crime Circle has
launched an inquiry by registering FIR 14/2003, resulting in the detention of
several bank officials, including Shaheryar Khalid from Silk Bank and Faisal
Jamil Khan from Meezan Bank. Furthermore, the arrests of Creek Marina's CFO,
Nudrat Mand Khan, and Salman Khan have been carried out as part of these
proceedings.
Source: Pakistan Observer