NAB nabs key suspect behind Rs40bn Kohistan corruption scam

The National Accountability Bureau’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter has arrested the alleged ringleader of the Rs40 billion Kohistan corruption case, one of the country’s largest financial scandals. The suspect, identified as Qaiser Iqbal, was taken into custody with his wife shortly after being discharged from the Abbottabad Medical Complex, officials said.

Investigators allege that funds were siphoned from the government treasury under Head of Account G-10113 through fabricated bills, fake schedules and bogus cheques. The scheme purportedly involved officers from the Communication and Works Department, the District Accounts Office, the Accountant General’s Office and the National Bank of Pakistan, as well as private contractors.

NAB says searches recovered gold, foreign currency, property documents, luxury vehicles and original treasury records from the suspect’s residence, indicating the breadth of the network. Authorities believe billions of rupees flowed into accounts linked to the suspect’s wife and an associated contractor.

A Peshawar accountability court granted seven days’ physical remand for the prime suspect and four days for his wife as investigators follow money trails and property records. More arrests are expected as the inquiry expands to determine whether senior officials enabled or ignored the alleged fraud over several years.