'Rs32.8 million prepaid cards of oil company stolen'

Faraz says dept not accepting its mistake as no one was ready to take responsibility

ISLAMABAD: A subcommittee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was informed on Wednesday that the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) prepaid cards worth Rs32.8 million had been stolen, while 1,400 cards worth Rs7 million had gone missing.

A meeting of the subcommittee was held in the Parliament House, with its convener Senator Shibli Faraz in the chair. The meeting reviewed the audit report of the petroleum division of the power ministry for 2010-2011.

Audit officials told the subcommittee that the audit report of 2009-2010 of the PSO revealed that 1,400 prepaid cards worth Rs7 million went missing, while the cards worth Rs32.8 million were stolen. The theft was later proven, they added.



A PSO official told the PAC panel that departmental action had been taken against those involved in the theft.

They informed the subcommittee that an employee was sacked while another employee of an outsourcing company was sent back.

The PSO official said that they also initiated a court case but the outsourcing company and its employee did not attend the hearing. A committee member questioned why the court did not decide one-sided.

Shibli Faraz interjected, saying that the issue is the cases were weakened in the courts, and then it was claimed that no relief was given. He added that half the cases the government lost because of the law ministry.

The committee asked the PSO officials to provide it with a copy of the agreement. Faraz also directed the officials to send the list of the members of the board of directors to the committee.



The audit officials told the committee that Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) gave away the contract for an LPG plant in 2002 without bidding.

However, SSGC officials replied that bids were invited and six companies submitted tenders, adding the board of directors approved the successful bid. According to the officials, other companies moved the Supreme Court, adding that the plant was later shut down.

Later bids were re-invited because of the shortage of gas in the country.

Faraz said that the department was not accepting its mistake as no one was ready to take responsibility. He directed PAC to prepare a reference against the then board and the managing director.