Livestock dept: Former DG granted bail in embezzlement case

Officials accused of misappropriating Rs478m meant for milk plant.

LAHORE:

An anti-corruption court on Wednesday granted post-arrest bail to former Punjab Livestock Department director general Dr M Irfan Zahid and nine others who are accused of misappropriating Rs478 million. Bail was set at Rs70,000 each.

According to the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), the officials and NGO Idara-i-Kissan had embezzled money that was supposed to be used to set up a milk processing plant in Layyah to boost production in that district as well as in neighbouring Jhang, Muzaffargarh and Dera Ghazi Khan.

Former chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had allocated Rs478 million for the joint venture, with Rs120 million to be provided by Idara-i-Kissan. The NGO, in connivance with officials of the Livestock and Dairy Development Department, embezzled the project funds, according to ACE.

The ACE registered an FIR against Livestock DG Dr Irfan Zahid, directors Dr Mansoor Ahmed and Dr Abdul Rauf, Idara-i-Kissan Chief Executive Officer Ameeruddin Bokhari, the district livestock officers of Layyah, Jhang, Muzaffargarh and Dera Ghazi Khan, and other officials of the department.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2012.