The hearing was conducted by Accountability Judge Hamid Mughal. NAB Special Prosecutor Habibullah Baig and the investigation officer were also present in court.

The prosecutor told the court that the accused, Abdul Waheed Butt, had allegedly collected Rs3.73 billion from 1,616 people in the name of a private land marketing company.

He said the victims, mostly from low-income backgrounds, had lodged complaints with NAB, prompting the investigation.

The prosecutor said Butt’s interim bail had been cancelled earlier, after which he was taken into custody.

He requested physical remand for further interrogation, saying more investigation was required to recover the defrauded amount and identify accomplices.

The court accepted the request and remanded the accused in NAB custody for seven days.