Charge sheets filed against former schools director in corruption case

Director, others accused of embezzlement of funds at the education department

KARACHI: An anti-corruption court accepted on Tuesday the charge sheet against a bureaucrat and his subordinates accused of a scam involving millions of rupees at the Sindh education department.

Former Karachi schools director Abdul Wahab Abbasi, his assistant, Saghir Wasti, former district officer (DO) Sheedi Brohi, deputy DOs Ghulam Rasool Bhund and Heera Lal, and other public servants have been shown as suspects in the charge sheet submitted before the incharge judge of the city's anti-corruption court, Nilofar Abbasi.

The suspects have been accused of embezzlement of funds at the provincial education department by drawing salaries, pensions and loans in the name of employees who were either retired, dead or were never appointed - that is, ghost workers.



The prosecution maintained that the suspects, in collusion with each other, prepared fake documents of appointments, certificates for promotions and others for ghost employees. Explaining the alleged scam, a prosecutor at the court said that the suspect would send a letter to the provincial accountant-general, recommending the nominee (retired, dead or ghost employee) for loan or ask for his dues which were shown pending from a date way back in a malafide manner. Once the amount was disbursed, they would share it among themselves. He added that officials of the accounts department were also involved in it as they had established a nexus to continue their wrongdoings. The time period for the alleged corruption is between 2012 and 2014.

The case was taken up before the court in February this year when the Anti-Corruption Establishment arrested Abdul Wahab. He was remanded to police custody for questioning. However, he was later released on bail.



The bureaucrat, while in custody, accused the first investigating officer (IO), Saeed Ahmed Rind, of conducting a partial probe and holding some grudges against him. Therefore, the inquiry was then handed over to another officer, Aijaz Ahmed Abbasi.

The second IO looked into the matter and later, in June, told the court that he could not find any clue against the schools director and submitted that the suspect may be released on account of lack of evidences. The special public prosecutor, Arif Sitai, opposed the report and, in his scrutiny note, wrote that the investigations were not properly done.

In July, the court dismissed the report and asked the second IO to re-investigate the matter keeping in view the facts submitted by the first officer. Also, the court had directed to obtain forensic examinations of the documents serving as proofs.

In reinvestigations, the bureaucrat has once again been found involved in wrongdoings. The court has taken cognisance of the charge sheet and the matter is now fixed on January 4 for further proceedings.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 30^th, 2015.