FIA starts inquiry against IESCO officials in Rs207 million scam

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ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) anti-corruption wing on Saturday opened investigations in a 207 million rupees’ scam against four officials of the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO), Pakistan Today learned reliably.

According to documents available with this scribe, the agency transpired that Mohammad Naeem, EX-RO, IESCO Subdivision-1 Islamabad, Khalid Mahmood, Commercial assistant, CSO-1, IESCO Division-1 Islamabad, Account Assistant Mohammad Rafiq and Gul Khatab in connivance with each other prepared and posted bogus scrolls related to IESCO consumers bills using fake bank statements along with the bill stubs with fake bank stamps of an account of Rs43 million approximately in the month of June 2019.

It was further added that they got clearance and verified all bogus scrolls and stub, and reconciled these with bogus monthly bank statement through Khalid Mahmood. These cleared and reconciled bogus scrolls, as well as fake bank statements, were then forwarded for further posting in the IESCO online system at computer section.

The interim report of the IESCO department inquiry committee said that amount has been found as, 207,752, 411 for a period of June 2018 to July 2019. Hence the mentioned persons are accused of colossal loss to the national exchequer by misuse of authority, criminal misconduct and breach of trust. After approval from the committee findings cases have been registered against the 4 accused persons of various charges as well further investigation is in a process to trace the involvement of other in this scam which gives a high loss to the national exchequer during 13 months tenure.

When contacted about the action against the accused a senior Anti-corruption head wished not to be named told that in this scam two officials Khalid Mahmood commercial assistant and account assistant Mohammad Rafiq have been arrested. He further added that for the arrest of remaining two teams are working to trace their location. On a question regarding the investigation against more officers, he replied that experts are working to trace the remaining if someone is involved as no one will be spared who are involved in corruption.