Polyclinic officials arrested after court rejects bail

FIA takes two officials into custody in expired dengue test kits case

ISLAMABAD:

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Thursday arrested Polyclinic hospital’s former Deputy Executive Director Finance Dr Amanullah and storekeeper Abid Hussain after a court rejected their interim bail plea in a case pertaining to the use of expired dengue diagnostic kits and devices with the connivance of contractor Syed Mohammad Shah, who supplied the kits to the hospital in 2019 through M/S Ideal Diagnostic System Rawalpindi.

Special Judge Central Muhammad Azam Khan announced the verdict after arguments from all sides.

At the outset of the hearing, Dr Amanullah's lawyer argued that the test kits were bought under a legal procedure. He said that his client had just signed the letter and he was not an authority regarding the equipment for the store.

Dr Amanullah’s lawyer said that his client used to deal with the administration and finance and the storekeeper sent him a letter and he forwarded the same. He said that he did not write about the return of the kits.

He further said that the executive director was authorized to look into the matter of the expired medicine and not his client. The complete file related to the purchase of dengue devices was with the storekeeper, he said.

The lawyer said that two inquiries were conducted into the matter and the storekeeper was first held responsible and then the responsibility was fixed on Assistant Executive Director Dr Rabia Iqbal, who is the in charge of the storekeeper.

The court asked the investigation officer if any action had been taken against the one who signed the file first and the other responsible persons.

The lawyer said that the letter was only signed by his client, and nowhere did it say whether to return the device or not.

The court asked what is the role of the storekeeper in this matter?

To which, the counsel for Dr Amanullah said that the executive director wrote a letter to the deputy executive director and he sent it to the storekeeper. “The entire file of purchase of dengue device is with the storekeeper,” he said.

The court inquired whether the hospital made any inquiry into the purchases. At this, the lawyer said that Assistant Executive Director Dr Rabia Iqbal was in charge of storekeeper Abid Hussain. The court said that this case was of November 2021, and the dengue device must have been used.

Dr Amanullah's lawyer said that two inquiries were conducted in which first the storekeeper and then Dr Rabia Iqbal was found guilty.

Sohail Chaudhry advocate said that his client (Abid Hussain) should be told what his role is in this case. He said that his client received the letter and he forwarded it.

"My client’s fault is that his name comes in the last," he said. It has not been decided yet where his client stands, and where are Dr Rabia Iqbal and others.

He said that the FIA should be asked who is running the Polyclinic hospital.?

The FIA prosecutor informed the court that storekeeper Abid Hussain is a habitual corrupt. He said that the accused had a two- kanal house in Gulberg while his two sons were in Germany.

The lawyer prayed the court to cancel the bail of the accused so that interrogation could be started about the remaining kits to save the lives of the people. After listening to arguments, the court dismissed the bail petition of the two accused.

The FIA lawyer said that during the 28 years, the accused just minted money through illegal means.

He said that Abid Hussain is roaming around in luxury cars. He committed corruption in Polyclinic and built houses. He said that if the accused is arrested, then he will tell where the kits are. Once the accused is arrested, only then the investigation will proceed to find out where the devices are.

The FIA lawyer while presenting an old FIR registered against Abid Hussain in the court said that a case of adultery was also registered against Abid Hussain.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 13^th, 2023.