As many as 132 anti-corruption inquiries remain in cold storage

KARACHI: The lethargic attitude of the Sindh’s anti-corruption authorities have put as many as 132 open inquiries of at least nine departments into cold storage, seriously affecting the accountability of the corrupt elements, it was learnt on Monday.

In March 2018, Sindh’s chief secretary, while chairing a high-profile meeting, had approved open inquiries against dozens of officers of provincial departments, but to no avail. There has not been any significant progress so far been made on even a single inquiry which raises a serious question on the performance of the anti-corruption, according to sources.

The sources said that these open inquiries were related to the provincial departments including 10 inquiries against the officials of Board of Revenue, Health (36 inquiries), Local Government Department (30 inquiries), Public Health Engineering Department (19 inquiries), Irrigation (14 inquiries), Schools Education Department (16 inquiries), Agriculture (5 inquiries), Sports (1 inquiry) and only one inquiry pending against Cooperation Department.

Owing to lack of efficiency being exhibited by the investigation officers (IO) the chairman, Anti-Corruption Department (ACD) chairman has forwarded a letter to submit him detailed report for the alleged arbitrarily delay on these open inquiries within two days.

The chairman has also warned to take action against anti-corruption officials if found guilty of causing a delay in the procedures, sources added.

Furthermore, sources said that the ACD has also directed authorities to do proper working on major cases of Board of Revenue that included illegal conversion of lands of Evacuee Trust, bogus revenue entries, and other revenue related inquiries in the next meeting to be presided over by Sindh chief secretary next week.