PESHAWAR: The National Accountability Bureau has arrested five officials of Zarai Taraqiati Bank (ZTBL) in the Rs202 million fraud case.

According to a statement issued here on Sunday, the arrested officials included Khushdil Khan, Binyamin Khan, Zari Gul, Sajjad Mehmood and Mohammad Fayyaz.

The accused were allegedly involved in embezzlement of millions of rupees through fake transactions.

The NAB statement said ZTBL advance loans to landholders, who have cultivable land, while loans on uncultivable (Shamlat) land were not allowed as per law.

The accused persons had sanctioned and disbursed loans to landless persons showing them as shareholders in Shamlat land of Serai Naurang, Lakki Marwat.

During the inquiry it was revealed that the accused in connivance with one another lured innocent people on the pretext of Benazir Income Support Programme and got their photographs, CNIC copies and thumb impressions fraudulently on the loan case files of the bank, paying them from Rs5,000 to Rs20,000, while fraudulently sanctioning millions of rupees of the agriculture loan.

It is pertinent to mention here that during interrogation the so-called beneficiaries of the case denied receiving any agriculture loan and instead stated that they were paid assistance under BISP.