In an interesting U-turn, the Federal Minister for Industries and Production Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi has appointed Sultan Mehmood as Managing Director (MD) Utility Stores Corporation, despite corruption charges against him being proved by an investigating agency.
One-and-a-half-year ago, the minister had himself issued the removal orders for Mehmood and made him OSD on a corruption charge of Rs 160 million and issued an inquiry.
The inquiry committee headed by General Manager Mumtaz Ali Khan held Mehmood, eight general managers and former MD Brigadier (retd) Hafeez Ahmed responsible for embezzling and illegally using the Contributory and Provident Fund meant for employees
The inquiry revealed that Mehmood and other officials illegally approved an investment of Rs 150 million in the National Investment Trust (NIT). The investment caused a loss of Rs 80 million to the national kitty due to a decline in rates of NIT shares.
On January 20, 2014, on the basis of the inquiry report, Jatoi directed former MD Khaqan Murtaza to send the corruption scandal to NAB besides removing all the officials from their posts till the probe was complete.
While the NAB was still probing the case, the minister himself wrote a letter to the prime minister requesting termination of the officials involved in corruption.
The NAB was yet to complete its probe in the scandal, the minister appointed Mehmood as MD Utility Stores Corporation. When contacted, Mehmood refused to talk about the corruption charges. Jatoi did not attend the call, and messages to his cell phone also got no response.