Dodgy dealings: Corruption taints 88 armed forces officials

Defence ministry unearths alleged involvement of almost a hundred armed forces officials in corruption.


Zahid Gishkori November 03, 2011

ISLAMABAD:


A report from the defence ministry has unearthed the alleged involvement of almost a hundred armed forces officials in corruption. The revelations come following the Public Accounts Committee’s declaration that three top army generals were responsible for the Rs1.8 billion losses in the National Logistics Cell scam.


According to the report, four officials from General Headquarters (GHQ) are involved in corruption – while 21 employees from the army are involved in financial irregularities related to military lands and cantonments.

A senior officer from the Pakistan Armed Services Board, 36 officials from the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation and 12 officers from Air Headquarters are also facing corruption charges.

The total number of officials is 88.

ISPR spokesperson Maj Gen Athar Abbas said he could not explain the report as it relates to the defence ministry. Cases of mismanagement against military officials, he said, could be of any nature. Since there are various divisions of the Pakistan army, it is not always possible for him to keep track of each one, Abbas added.

Senator Talha Mehmood of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) had sought details about officials in the armed forces against whom corruption cases had surfaced during the last three years. The concerned ministry submitted the report to the Senate, a copy of which is also available with The Express Tribune.

According to the report, Irfan Asghar, a former central executive officer in Peshawar, embezzled millions of rupees by allotting a ghost plot during his tenure.

Amir Masood and Tauqeer Ahmed, chief executive officers in Murree Hills, embezzled Rs3.45 million from the cantonment fund.

Chief Executive Officer Nowshera, Basit Saleem illegally constructed shops on state land. Abdul Majeed, ex-supervisor at GHQ, is involved in pilfering of oat seed from the Rakh Garistan Abad Military Farm, Multan.

Muhammad Mazhar, Civil Tel. Supervisor was involved in printing and using fake military warrants and the procurement of stamps and a serial number machine.

A senior nursing officer in Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) used the fake signature of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. Esther Aqeel Samar, an officer of PG-VI in PIA prepared a fake document, resulting in his posting to the United Kingsom in 2009.

A senior PIA official Abu Bakar also submitted fake documents to the British embassy in Abu Dhabi to secure a new posting. Both officials have been dismissed from the service and inquiries are being conducted.

Deputy General Manager (works) Fareed Mughal illegally rented out billions of rupees worth of property owned by PIA to a private firm in Islamabad.

PIA spokesperson Syed Sultan Hassan said the official report on corruption cases against workers of the national flag carrier can only be confirmed by the human resource department. “I cannot explain the matter until I check the official record,” he told The Express Tribune.

Meanwhile, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has taken up case of Rs3.45 million embezzled by Habib Hussain, accountant CB Murree Hills. The FIA also kicked off investigations of ex-accountant officers Mumtaz Ali, Abdul Karim and Umar Hakeem and 15 other senior officials who were involved in embezzling Rs77 million through fraudulent payments on account of haircutting and washing allowances and misappropriation in their offices.

An inquiry has also been initiated against three senior military officials Ajmal Said, Masood Shah and Amanullah Khan on issuing fake income tax deduction certificates to contractors and clearing fake bills of Karachi Fixed Communication Signal Company.

The ministry of defence has started inquires into the cases of three senior officials of the directorate of educational institutions. The three are Associate Professor Azhar Malik, Headmistress Najmus Sahar and Lower Division Clerk Khalid Mehmood.

Over three dozen PIA officials are facing corruption cases in various courts and official inquiries. Some senior officials have smuggled million of rupees of drugs and other precious metals. Senior PIA officer of PG-VII Rana Ahsanullah smuggled Nokia Brand Mobiles, Kamran Liaque and Fakhar-e-Alam of PG-III smuggled 84 non-duty mobile sets and air steward Ali Khan smuggled cigarettes.

Draft charges against Senior Cantonment Engineer Abdul Rahim, Assistant Eng Arshad Jamil, senior Inspectors Rajab Ali, Ahmad Ali, Overseers Babar Zaidi and Muhammad Anwar and two other officers are being framed. These individuals started unauthorised construction in Punjab Colony and Delhi Colony in Karachi.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3rd, 2011.

COMMENTS (44)

Mehdi | 12 years ago | Reply

Financial irregularity, corruption and fraud are different things. This news item pertains to some annual audit report. any of the reader been to government services would know it.

Financial Irregularity, is mostly related to documents related to financial matters, that too which could not be produced infront of audit team.In most of the cases these are settled by submitting required documents.

Corruption and re-appropriation are usually taken as same. Its just the matter of competent authority's formal consent. e.g in cold regions (like Quetta) budget allotment for heating purpose can only be used to purchase coal (since financial regulations could not be changed without involving parliament); It is very common to produce 'fake' coal purchase receipts and utilize this amount for clean, and cheap Sui gas bill.

Fraud, forgering documents etc are real offences and Army is very harsh on these things. I have seen officers being court martial and sent home on giving away his travel concession vouchers to some of his relatives. No need to raise alarm by 'driving everything with the same stick', at least there is some system of check on all government institutes and military. last comment: Cantonment Executive Officer is not a military person.

bigsaf | 12 years ago | Reply

Three Pakistani cricket players were swiftly convicted of corruption. The UK did Pakistan a favour.

No reason to hold back on this lot either. Time to sanitize the environment and make it corruption free.

Now's a good opportunity for Pakistan to hold everyone accountable at every level and every institution. All the way to the top.

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