Corruption inquiries: Around 100 officials held, FIRs registered, says ACE

Anti-corruption dept chief briefs CM on action taken in past four months

KARACHI: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) during the last four months has registered 97 FIRs and arrested 110 officials of different departments against charges of corruption and embezzlement of public funds.

This was disclosed by ACE chief Mumtaz Ali Shah while briefing Chief Minister (CM) Qaim Ali Shah at CM House on Friday.

The meeting was attended by Sindh Chief Secretary Siddique Memon and CM's principal secretary, Alamuddin Bullo.

Sharing details of action taken in the last four months, Mumtaz said from January to April this year, the department has arrested 110 officials of 21 government departments and registered 97 FIRs against them. "The investigation officers of ACE have submitted 83 charge-sheets in courts, which has led to the conviction of four accused while cases of other officials are in progress," he explained.



Giving department-wise details, the ACE chairman said out of 97 FIRs, 18 have been registered against officials of the revenue department, 17 of the food department, 16 of the education department, 15 against home department, 10 against the local government department, six against the health department, two against the works department, two against public health education and registration department each. Moreover one FIR each has been registered against the irrigation, zakat, livestock and fisheries departments.

Talking about the arrests, Mumtaz said 30 officials of the revenue department have been arrested so far, in addition to 22 from the education department, 11 from the home department, nine from the local government department, two from the irrigation department, five from food department, four from excise and taxation department,  five from the health department and registration department, four from the public health education department, two from the fisheries department and public universities, one each from the cooperatives, forest, population, law, works, zakat, katchi abadis, agriculture and services and general administration department.

He said that apart from the arrests and FIRs, the ACE has opened 446 corruption inquiries into various government departments.

The CM said that he has given all the required facilities to ACE. "The department should not focus on arresting officers but should educate government officials against corruption," he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 21^st, 2016.