In a latest scandal, five ZTBL officials have allegedly swindled an amount of Rs202 million from the government treasury in the name of farmers that did not exist. All the five officials of Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) were employed in Lakki Marwat branch. The names of the officials who are involved in the embezzlement scandal are as following:
- Binyamin Khan
- Khushdil Khan
- Muhammed Fayyaz
- Sajjad Mehmood
- Zari Gul
It is notable to mention that ZTBL provides loans to landlords and farmers who have cultivable land. However, the five officials distributed loans to the farmers of Shamlat – a region which doesn’t have any cultivable land. Therefore, ZTBL has entered the area into the banned list.
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The ghost farmers were the residents of a non-cultivable area. In addition, they never applied for any loan nor do they have any land. The accused ZTBL officials created these farmers for the sake of conning millions from the national exchequer. They managed to accomplish the purpose by borrowing loans under farmers’ name and made Rs202 million to be precise.
NAB Arrests Accused ZTBL Officials
Following the news of the embezzlement, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has detained all five ZTBL officials. The investigation which has taken place in the first phase revealed that the officials had been working together since long. They trapped innocent people in their net by offering them extra income via Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). Moreover, same set of officials also used to collect CNIC copies, photographs, thumb impressions and their consent as they pay them between Rs5,000 to Rs20,000 to gain their trust, only to take millions using their names later. This is precisely how these officials shaped loan files for people who did not even know anything about farming.
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When victims were asked about their involvement, they were of the view that they were paid a certain amount under BISP. In addition, they also revealed that they had never applied for the loan.
Millions of rupees were embezzled for quite a long time, that too, in such a small region. Yet, everyone overlooked this matter. Don’t you think ZTBL needs to roll its sleeves to take stern action against these corrupt officials?
Source: ProPakistani
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