–Audit & Accounts Cooperative Housing Society caretaker committee members found involved in corruption, misuse of power
–ACE deputy director says all accused under arrest, further probe is underway
LAHORE: A scam worth millions of rupees has surfaced in the Audit & Accounts Cooperative Housing Society Ltd Lahore, as a part of which a number of senior officials of the Cooperative Department, who are also the members of the society’s caretaker committee, have been found involved in corruption as well as misuse of power, Pakistan Today learnt Thursday.
According to sources, with the connivance of Cooperative Housing Societies of Lahore former registrar Muhammad Nawaz, Circle Registrar (General) and ex-convener of the caretaker committee Mahe Munir, Assistant Registrar (I&M) Muhammad Mohsin Ali and Inspector (Housing –I) Imran Safdar are involved in financial corruption, illegal recruitments, embezzlement and misuse of powers.
“As many as 90 residential plots in the society were converted into commercial plots through which an amount of Rs35,000 to Rs50,000 per marla was charged as the commercialisation fee. An amount of Rs29,732,900 was collected through this process but no proper entries were made in the ledger of the society and thereafter the amount was spent in the name of day to day expenses and welfare work etc,” sources said.
Moreover, they added, six plots of the society had been subdivided without the approval of the cooperative registrar, which is a violation of the terms of reference (TOR) and an amount of Rs800,000 was collected through this process.
Documents available with Pakistan Today revealed that an allegation on account of purchase of additional land and its merger with the society was proved as per the documents of purchase of land of 14 kanals and 16 marla at a cost of Rs9,065,000.
Furthermore, almost 198 new members were enrolled and provisional allotment letters to 188 members were issued while 10 plots in the Muhammad Bin Qasim Block of the society had been permanently allotted to only two families. The entire episode concluded in connivance with the ex-registrar while approximately 28 plots were shown in the name of his family members.
As per the society’s records, 10 employees had been appointed whereas the approval of recruitment of one record keeper, one driver and electrician was obtained from the registrar. The remaining seven employees were recruited illegally and Rs697,000 was paid to those employees as salary.
In addition to this, two electric generators (500 KV each) were installed on a rental basis in the society, without the approval of the authority concerned.
“The agreement to make the purchase was made in the name of Audit and Accounts Cooperative Housing Society Ltd Lahore and Energy Power Services on 19.07.2016 whereas the purchase date of the stamp paper is 20.07.2016,” sources said.
They informed this scribe that Rs3,652,029 were available in the society’s accounts when the committee took charge and during its tenure, the society earned Rs127,163,766 whereas the expenditures incurred were Rs130,263,787. “An amount of mere Rs552,008 was available in the accounts of the society when the caretaker committee was replaced.”
Moreover, sources said, the ex-convener of the caretaker committee distributed pamphlets in the society against Shaheen Group in connivance with its rival Pasban Group, which is illegal.
“He also held a meeting on 01.09.2016 wherein agenda item no 5 showed that enhancement in the transfer fee was proposed illegally.”
Speaking to Pakistan Today, Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Deputy Director Shahrukh Khan Niazi said the case was being investigated by the department for quite some time and an FIR [First Information Report] against the corrupts had been lodged as per section 420/468, 471/218, 166/167 and 5(2)47/ PCA.
“All four of them were also arrested on Thursday,” he said.
“Last year, we received a request from the section officer of the Cooperatives Department seeking criminal proceedings against the accused officials/officers and we have been conducting a fact-finding inquiry since then.”
The arrests were made after the collection of solid evidence against the accused, Niazi said.
