Hospital staff arrested in payroll scam

The district administration and police, in collaboration with sensitive agency officers, arrested key individuals involved in a major embezzlement scheme at the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Okara.

Among those arrested were Hospital Admin Shabbir, Supervisor Shiraz and janitorial staff employee Ahsan, who allegedly conspired to siphon off millions of rupees from the salaries of janitorial staff.

Reports indicate that these officials paid only Rs20,000 monthly to security guards and sanitary staff instead of the rightful salary of Rs37,000.

During the operation, authorities recovered over 50 ATM cards belonging to employees, alongside millions of rupees withdrawn from these cards.

Okara Deputy Commissioner Ahmed Usman Javed revealed that the janitorial staff had deployed hundreds of employees for security and cleaning across district hospitals, with their salaries transferred monthly. However, it is alleged that a collusion existed among around 120 janitorial employees at DHQ Okara, contractor Ashraf, Supervisor Shiraz, and Ahsan.

The investigation also uncovered the existence of ghost employees, whose salaries were also fraudulently withdrawn by this group, resulting in monthly embezzlement ranging from Rs1.2 to Rs1.4 million.

Following a tip-off from sensitive agency officers, a coordinated operation was launched, which included deploying undercover officers at approximately 15 bank branches in the city.

During the operation, a young man was apprehended after making multiple ATM transactions on MA Jinnah Road.

The officers recovered 40 ATM cards and significant cash from him. Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of Ahsan at another ATM for withdrawing funds.

Hospital Admin Shabbir was taken into custody later that night based on the initial findings. Authorities also attempted to arrest contractor Ashraf at his residence; however, he managed to evade capture, leaving behind ATM cards and other evidence.

Deputy Commissioner Javed stated that this gang had been exploiting these employees for the past three years, leading to extensive financial losses.

Following the arrests, the investigation's scope has expanded, with more arrests anticipated.

A case has been registered at the A Division Police Station and with the Anti-Corruption Department to ensure justice and recovery of the embezzled funds.