The special panel of Senate Finance Committee, constituted to investigate allegations of corruption and nepotism at the CCP, completed its findings. It gave five recommendations to address corruption, nepotism and conflict of interests. The panel, headed by Senator Ishaq Dar of the PML-N, concluded that “recoveries of the embezzled amount were not sufficient and action should be taken against all responsible persons.”
The Senate committee took up the matter after a former employee of the CCP circulated an anonymous e-mail levelling serious allegations against the chairperson of the Competition Commission. However, during the investigation it was found that this unidentified person had been terminated from the Commission for embezzling Rs6.8 million of public funds.
The former official levelled allegations of mismanagement and conflict of interest against the CCP chairperson Rahat Kaunain Hassan.
The panel also asked the government to direct the office of the Auditor General of Pakistan to conduct a special audit of the anti-trust watchdog for the period of July 2008 to June 2010, fearing that there could be more such incidences of corruption.
The panel also asked the management of the CCP to improve internal control systems and directed the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue to check the strength of the internal control systems at the CCP. The finance ministry and the CCP argued that there were no defined rules that authorise Parliament to take anonymous e-mail seriously. The CCP chairperson had argued that the purpose of the exercise was to tarnish the image of the CCP.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 12th, 2012.
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