Anti-corruption department finds sufficient evidence against PHA officials
Audit report discovers financial irregularities amounting to Rs 52 million
LAHORE
The countdown starts as the anti-corruption department has decided to furnish maximum evidences against six high-ranking officials of Pakistan Horticulture Authority (PHA), involved in embezzlement of Rs. 52 million, on the next court hearing on October 20.
The six PHA officials allegedly issued advance payment to the contractors without following the legal procedure and purchased office equipments and plants during the tree plantation drive in 2005 to 2008. The accused are 18 to 19 grade officials and got the pre-arrest bails when anti-corruption department moved the summary to the chief secretary to arrest them.
Embezzlement:
An official from the anti-corruption department told Pakistan Today that inquiry committee constituted for the embezzlement case believed that the accused were guilty and were involved in financial irregularities. Substantiating court’s findings, various evidences including the personal bank statements of the accused from 2006 to 2007 have been collected, he added. “I hope that the facts we have are enough to prove them guilty in the coming court hearing,” he said.
Anti-Corruption Department Lahore Region Director Rao Nasir Jamil said that department sought the permission of the chief secretary under rule 9 of the anti-corruption as it was a prerequisite before the arrest of an 18 grade official. “We had an FIR registered against them under anti-corruption section 471, 468, 467, 420 and 409 on June 22,” he added and pleaded that any delay in the permission to arrest could help the accused to go at large. “Meanwhile, the accused filed a writ petition in Lahore High Court in July to ward off any legal action. So much so, they got pre-arrest bails in August to tie up our hands.” he added.
Audit report:
Upon the briefing’s submission to the CM Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, CM personal staff officer Khawaja Imran Raza hired a private chartered company to audit the funds. In the light of the audit report, CM ordered anti-corruption department to take immediate action, he added.
The report found financial irregularities, during 2005 and 2008, in 33 different amounts which accounted for Rs. 52 million. These amounts were released to PHA officials (South). “These officials had issued the amounts in cash to suppliers and labours without formal approval of Planning and Development Department Punjab. Before the payment release, tax had neither been deducted nor was submitted in the provincial exchequer,” the report concluded.
The accused include Tahir Ijaz (Director), Azhar Ali Sulehri (Deputy Director), Zulfiqar Ali Sulehria (Deputy Director), Saeed Ahmed (Deputy Director), Muhammad Boota (Deputy Director) and Akhtar Mehmood (Deputy Director). PHA officials denied accusations and said that report was in violation of the rules laid down by the government and the records showed bogus entries.