Embezzlement: Ehtesab Commission arrests food secretary

Sahibzada Fazal Amin arrested for misappropriating welfare funds

PESHAWAR:

The provincial accountability commission made its first arrest after the Peshawar High Court declared the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission (EC) Act 2015 a reasonable law, by nabbing a food secretary. Sahibzada Fazal Amin, a grade-20 officer, for misappropriating welfare funds.

Officials at the EC said Amin was involved in embezzling a significant amount of funds of Child Protection and Welfare Commission during the previous government’s tenure. He was also a secretary at the social welfare department.

“Being part of the welfare commission and as the secretary of the social welfare department, Amin got parallel accounts opened in private banks,” said an official of the EC. “He did so for grants in aid and donor funds, and by breaking financial regulations, thereby causing a loss of millions to the national exchequer.”

A senior officer at the EC told The Express Tribune Amin was the chairman at the welfare commission when ANP Senator Sitara Ayaz was minister. Ayaz, who is a former provincial minister for social welfare, is on bail as PHC restrained the commission from arresting her.

The official added more people from the welfare department are expected to be arrested over charges of corruption. “The arrest of Amin will intensify clashes between the government and opposition as the latter has been making a hue and cry, saying they are being politically victimised [by the government through the EC].”

Amin will be produced before the court Wednesday (today).

Until proven otherwise

When contacted, ANP parliamentary leader Sardar Hussain Babak said if any official or politician cooperates during investigation, then she or he should not be humiliated. “After his arrest, the media trial will start till the court decides his fate.”

Babak was of the view that the privacy of the person arrested should also be assured. “If a person is arrested today and the court releases him or her the next day over lack of evidence, who should be held responsible for the humiliation the person would face among family, friends and voters?”

He added ANP has always wanted to root out corruption and would cooperate with the government, but any action taken in this regard should be transparent and backed by solid evidence. “The government promised to make amendments in the act, to make it transparent on several forums, but nothing has been done so far.”

He added the continuous arrests of politicians and bureaucrats by EC  has created obstacles for the government machinery and many bills related to development projects remain stuck in offices as bureaucrats were reluctant to sign them due to fear of arrest.

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