Balochistan DG health held in graft case
The National Accountability Bureau’s Balochistan chapter has arrested the Director General (DG) Health Balochistan Shakir Baloch in a massive corruption case.
The Medical Superintendent of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Hospital Abdul Ghaffar Baloch was also nabbed on the same charges of discrepancies in the purchase of anti-venom injections.
An investigation carried out by the NAB investigation team into the fake purchase of vaccines revealed that the DG Health had illegally approved the purchase of 244,000 injections in violation of the law.
Later, with the connivance of other accused, he caused a colossal loss to the national exchequer by making illegal payments of more than Rs400 million to the preferred contractors.
It is pertinent to mention that the medical superintendent who was arrested in the case approved a contract worth over Rs 60million illegally to obtain financial benefits.
NAB Balochistan had also arrested former Additional Director MSD Balochistan Dr Zulfiqar Baloch, Medical Technician and Proprietor Ali Umer Enterprises Khalid Bhati and Faqir Husain in a large-scale embezzlement in the purchase of anti-venom injections in the MSD department.
According to the investigation, the DG Health and other accused conspired to collect more than Rs400 million for the purchase of anti-rabies injection.
Court approves remand
An Accountability Court on Tuesday remanded FG Health Baloch and MS Abdul Ghaffar on charges of massive corruption in the purchase of injections.
Accountability Court Judge Munawar Shahwani who approved 14 days remand of the accused.
Further investigation is underway.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 2nd, 2020.