ISLAMABAD - The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has filed a reference against former Ambassador of Pakistan in Indonesia Major General (retd) Syed Mustafa Anwar Hussain for selling embassy buildings in Jakarta on a throwaway price before the Accountability Court in Islamabad.    

The reference stated that the accused person sold the embassy building in Jakarta without following the rules and regulations and even without having prior approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It is maintained further in the reference that the said tainted deal caused a loss of US $1.32 million which is equal to 13.45 billion Indonesian rupees to the public exchequer.     The accused was appointed as an Ambassador at Jakarta in Pervaiz Musharraf’s era. The investigations revealed that he had started a process of disposing off the government properties in Jakarta soon after his appointment in 2001.

He also allegedly appointed M/s Palma Citra Permai to work as an agent or broker to sell the chancery building without approval of the foreign ministry and without any advertisement. 

According to the reference, former ambassador Major General Retired Syed Mustafa Anwar Hussain repeatedly exerted pressure on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to allow him to sell the building. 

 

“He without having any authority entered into a contract and sold the buildings against 12.5 billion Indonesian rupees”, the reference said. 

 

The Foreign Office through several letters restricted Mr. Mustafa from selling the property without following rules and regulations. But the ambassador decided on his own to dispose of the property. Later, he informed the ministry that he had already signed an agreement to sell the buildings. 

 

In return the ministry informed him that he will be personally liable to any consequences for signing of a sale agreement as it was against the law. 

 

Reference stated further that the former ambassador to save his skin moved to then chief executive of Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf for seeking approval for the sale of chancery building and ambassador residence, who constituted an inquiry committee under the cabinet secretary.

 

The committee confirmed irregularities in the sale as the deal had been finalised without giving an advertisement in local press. 

 

Later, an evaluation of aforementioned properties was taken from M/s Ray White in 2016, which provided the market value of these buildings in 2002-2003. 

 

It is pertinent to mention here that the said inquiry against accused person was initiated on an application of Mr S.M.H. Razvi, who was the head of chancery at the embassy at that time and he had raised objections even before the sale of property as well.