CDA plots scandal: Billions in fraud under investigation

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) flagged the questionable transfer of 22 government plots in Sector D-13 to a person who reportedly altered his identity card to facilitate the acquisition, the Hum Investigation Team (HIT) has learnt.

According to the evidence available with the HIT, the CDA escalated the matter to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for a detailed probe into the alleged fraudulent transfer of assets valued in the billions.

Read more: Human smuggling: Five arrested in raids across the country

A formal request from the CDA Chairman was made to the FIA, urging a ‘thorough’ investigation into the plots’ transfer.

A spokesperson for the CDA confirmed that the inquiry was ‘in progress’, with the agency ‘fully cooperating’ with the FIA. The Chairman’s correspondence called for the ‘comprehensive’ examination of the circumstances surrounding the dubious transfers.

Corruption within the CDA has been a longstanding issue. In January, Dawn  reported that the FIA’s Anti-Corruption Circle in Islamabad apprehended four people, including CDA officials and members of the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA), for their involvement in corruption. The suspects, who served as patwaris in the CDA, allegedly fabricated reports regarding land ownership in Mouza Shah Allah Ditta and defrauded a complainant of Rs7 million through forged documentation.

Similarly, the FIA detained two people suspected of human trafficking linked to the tragic boat incident off the coast of Libya. The suspects reportedly extorted significant sums from victims by promising employment abroad, only to place them in perilous situation.

The FIA also arrested a suspect in Rawalpindi who has been evading capture for six years for providing counterfeit visas for various countries.

In August 2024, the Anti-Corruption Circle concluded an investigation into 14 government employees. The team uncovered assets that significantly exceeded their declared income.

The investigation resulted in the seizure of properties held in the names of the accused officials and their families.

In July last year, the FIA’s Corporate Crime Circle dismantled a syndicate of CDA officials involved in fraudulent land transfers to property developers. Eight people were arrested, with the operation initiated following a reference from the Establishment Division regarding illegal plot allotments.

Read more: More than 60 FIA officials involved in human trafficking, 38 face immediate dismissal

The FIA also took against illegal occupants of Evacuee Trust properties, successfully reclaiming commercial assets worth billions in Rawalpindi.