Crooked policeman: For extorting prisoners, cop becomes inmate
He was caught red-handed while collecting marked notes from a prisoner’s brother.
RAWALPINDI:
An Adiala Jail official found himself on the wrong side of the prison bars on Tuesday after he was arrested for allegedly taking extortion money from an under-trial prisoner.
In a sting operation on Tuesday, the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) arrested Adiala Jail Chief Chakar Head Constable Baqir Hussain from a shop outside the prison while he was collecting the extortion money.
ACE team under the supervision of Special Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Ahsan Ranjha arrested Adiala Jail Chief Chakar Head Constable Baqir Hussain.
The allegations levelled against the arrested jail official gives an idea about the huge sums of money involved in the ‘business of favours’. The favours could include allowing prisoners to keep contraband items such as cellphones or avoiding the wrath of jail officials by being added to their ‘good books’.
The incident may well be the tip of the iceberg, as concerns have continuously been raised by prisoners and law enforcers about rampant corruption in the jail.
ACE Rawalpindi Circle Officer (CO) Tanveer Amjad told The Express Tribune that Muhammad Nazir lodged a complaint with them that his brother, an Adiala Jail inmate facing murder charges, was forced to pay Rs40,000 every month for the last seven months. Otherwise, the jail officials threatened they will frame him with charges of possessing narcotics or cellphones on jail premises.
The complainant told ACE that he had already paid half of the monthly bribe and was told by jail officials to bring the remaining Rs20,000 for November, Amjad said.
The head constable came to a shop outside the jail and collected the wad of cash, composed of marked bills provided by the ACE officials. He was then arrested red-handed with the money in his possession, the CO said.
Currency notes are not allowed in any jail in Pakistan — whatever prisoners need is to be provided to them by their families or friends through jail staff.
Amjad said another jail official, Imtiaz, was also named for accepting bribes and the investigators had also interrogated a shop owner who, in the absence of the jail staff, would collect the money on their behalf.
Talking to a private TV channel, Hussain denied the allegations and said he came only to collect the money and food for the under-trial prisoner on humanitarian grounds.
He said the complaint against the jail staff was only made because they never allowed cellphones in the jail. However, the constable was speechless when asked why he had taken cash for the prisoner when inmates were not allowed to keep any money.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 21st, 2012.
An Adiala Jail official found himself on the wrong side of the prison bars on Tuesday after he was arrested for allegedly taking extortion money from an under-trial prisoner.
In a sting operation on Tuesday, the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) arrested Adiala Jail Chief Chakar Head Constable Baqir Hussain from a shop outside the prison while he was collecting the extortion money.
ACE team under the supervision of Special Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Ahsan Ranjha arrested Adiala Jail Chief Chakar Head Constable Baqir Hussain.
The allegations levelled against the arrested jail official gives an idea about the huge sums of money involved in the ‘business of favours’. The favours could include allowing prisoners to keep contraband items such as cellphones or avoiding the wrath of jail officials by being added to their ‘good books’.
The incident may well be the tip of the iceberg, as concerns have continuously been raised by prisoners and law enforcers about rampant corruption in the jail.
ACE Rawalpindi Circle Officer (CO) Tanveer Amjad told The Express Tribune that Muhammad Nazir lodged a complaint with them that his brother, an Adiala Jail inmate facing murder charges, was forced to pay Rs40,000 every month for the last seven months. Otherwise, the jail officials threatened they will frame him with charges of possessing narcotics or cellphones on jail premises.
The complainant told ACE that he had already paid half of the monthly bribe and was told by jail officials to bring the remaining Rs20,000 for November, Amjad said.
The head constable came to a shop outside the jail and collected the wad of cash, composed of marked bills provided by the ACE officials. He was then arrested red-handed with the money in his possession, the CO said.
Currency notes are not allowed in any jail in Pakistan — whatever prisoners need is to be provided to them by their families or friends through jail staff.
Amjad said another jail official, Imtiaz, was also named for accepting bribes and the investigators had also interrogated a shop owner who, in the absence of the jail staff, would collect the money on their behalf.
Talking to a private TV channel, Hussain denied the allegations and said he came only to collect the money and food for the under-trial prisoner on humanitarian grounds.
He said the complaint against the jail staff was only made because they never allowed cellphones in the jail. However, the constable was speechless when asked why he had taken cash for the prisoner when inmates were not allowed to keep any money.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 21st, 2012.