NAB Arrests Ex-Truck Driver Turned Tycoon in Rs. 40 Billion Kohistan Embezzlement Case

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has apprehended a former dumper driver in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, accused of masterminding one of the largest corruption scandals in the province’s history. The suspect, now a self-proclaimed businessman, is alleged to have embezzled billions through fake companies and extensive money laundering operations.

Investigators revealed that the accused diverted over Rs. 3 billion directly from government treasury accounts and laundered approximately Rs. 16 billion through numerous bank accounts, bringing the total financial scam to nearly Rs. 40 billion. NAB officials say the fraud was executed under the guise of a construction firm, M/s Mumtaz Khan Construction Company, which existed only on paper.

The bogus firm reportedly served as a front to siphon funds from the Contractors’ Security Deposit Head of Account, a reserve meant to ensure the completion of public projects. Instead, the account became a channel for large-scale financial manipulation, with treasury cheques deposited into fake company accounts.

According to NAB, the accused—once earning a living as a truck driver—used sophisticated layering techniques to conceal the movement of illegal funds. Through multiple transactions, he attempted to mask the origins of the money, later investing the proceeds into high-value assets, including luxury vehicles, real estate, and commercial properties registered under his own name and those of close relatives and associates.

Authorities say this case highlights how fake companies and fabricated credentials are being used to exploit loopholes in financial monitoring systems. The accused’s transformation from a low-income worker to a billionaire has raised serious concerns about accountability in public project financing and treasury oversight.

The suspect has been remanded for eight days by an accountability court in Peshawar, where NAB will continue its investigation to trace additional accomplices and recover misappropriated funds. Officials have vowed to take the probe to its logical conclusion, emphasizing that no one involved in large-scale corruption will be spared.