MULTAN: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday decided to ble a reference in accountability court against 11 accused, including former vice chancellor of Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) Dr Khwaja Algama and former registrar Malik Munir Husain over their alleged involvement in establishment of the university`s Lahore sub-campus.

According to a handout issued by the NAB spokesman Additional Director Ahmed Mumtaz Bajwa, ameeting of NAB`s regional board was held under NAB Multan Director General Tariq Mehmood Nadeem and the board unanimously recommended to file a reference against all the accused in the case.

He alleged the sub-campus was established while violating the rules and regulations and neither had the university syndicate approved the sub-campus nor was the approval for all of its courses obtained from the Higher Education Commission.

`The accused had allowed the West Continental Group to establish the sub-campus without following the rules and regulationsor giving any advertisement in newspaper,` he said.

The handout stated that Investigation Officer Saeed Ahmed Shaikh presented the case in the meeting and the board, in the light of investigation, evidences and record, unanimously recommended that the reference should be filed in the accountability court against the accused.

It further said the allegations of abusing the authority, cheating the public at large and bad faith proved correct during the investigations against the 11 accused.

Disclosure of the embezzlement of more than Rs1 billion was alsothe part of the findings of the investigations, the handout said, adding that recommendations of board would be sent to NAB headquarters in Islamabad for final approval and after getting approval, the reference would be filed in the accountability court.

NAB had produced Dr Algama before the court on Oct 29 the day he was arrested while stating that the accused was arrested in compliance of arrest warrants issued by the NAB chairman and investigation into the matter was authorised by NAB Multan director general on Aug 18.

Former Registrar Munir Hussainhas been granted pre-arrest bail by the Lahore High Court.

BANK DACOITY: Over Rs8 million were looted from the branch of a private bank at Timber Market here on Friday.

The bank officials told the police the armed men took away the cash after holding the staff at gunpoint.

The police said about 10 robbers reached the bank at around 12pm and snatched guns from security guards. They held the banl< staff and clients hostage, collected cash and fled from the scene.

Qutabpur police are looking into the matter.