Corruption Scandal: 18 CDA Employees Suspended

ISLAMABAD: The Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has suspended eighteen officers and staff after the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) ongoing investigation into allegations of corruption within the Land Department.

According to a confidential notification from the Deputy Director of CDA disclosed that an Assistant Accounts Officer, Senior Accountant, Deputy Collector, and four Patwaris are among the persons that have been suspended, a state-run APP reported.

Moreover, two Assistants, seven Junior Assistants, and a Record Keeper from the Deputy Commissioner’s office are also among those suspended, citing violations of the CDA Employees Regulation 1992.

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The suspensions, according to CDA officials, are the result of an ongoing FIA investigation into a fraudulent allotment scheme that was uncovered last year and is estimated to be worth Rs 6.9 billion.

Chairman CDA Capt. (Retd.)  Anwar-ul-Haq ordered the FIA to conduct additional research after launching an internal investigation.

Afnan Alam and several former CDA members have been placed under arrest in connection with the FIA probe. Nine CDA officers have also been held, comprising three Patwaris, an Assistant Director, and a dealing assistant.

However, eleven more officers who are purportedly implicated in the Land Department corruption case, along with former Director Sardar Anwar, a tehsildar, and property dealers, are still at large.