Misuse of authority: PEDO faces inquiry for joint venture with unregistered firm

Provincial chapter of NAB to file two references, investigate pilferage at regional tax office


Our Correspondent May 19, 2018
The application states that the hospital was being run in violation of the MTI Act 2015 PHOTO: EXPRESS

PESHAWAR: The apex anti-corruption watchdog on Friday decided to launch an inquiry into the provincial energy organisation for allegedly violating the laws.

A regional board of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) met in Peshawar on Friday with the provincial chapter’s Director General Farmanullah Khan in the chair.

The board decided to probe the Energy Development Organisation (PEDO).

“The board authorised an inquiry against officials of PEDO and others regarding corruption and misuse of authority,” read a statement issued by the NAB office.

It stated that the suspects had allegedly violated the law by entering into a joint venture in gross violation of laws adding that the firms with whom the agreement had reached with were not registered with the Pakistan Energy Council, nor did they have the required technical expertise to undertake the project.

The NAB provincial chapter also authorised an inquiry against officials of Mineral Department in Karak and others for illegal mining.

“The suspects are alleged to have facilitated illegal mining in Umar Din Kalay, which was auctioned at Rs15.2 million but the leaseholder did not deposit any of the instalments while illegal mining was carried out,” the statement read.

It also stated that an inquiry has been authorised against officials of the education department and others for misuse of authority after the case had been referred to the accountability body by the Peshawar High Court (PHC). The anti-corruption body said that the subjects were alleged to have secured land for a school in Hazar Khawani only after the landowners were promised jobs in gross violation of laws.

The board also turned an inquiry into a full-blown investigation against officials of the Regional Tax Office in Peshawar and others for allegedly misappropriating taxes.

The decision was taken after the inquiry revealed that tax officials in Peshawar, in connivance with others, had caused a loss of millions of rupees to the national exchequer through fake, fabricated and bogus bank receipts against each tax payment.

The board also approved to file a reference against Muhammad Miraj, a sub-inspector for the Excise and Taxation Department in Peshawar for accumulating assets beyond known sources of income.

Another reference was approved against Akbar Khan and others for allegedly cheating the public at large and embezzling public money worth millions. 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19th, 2018.

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