Public Works Department: At least 30 officials face graft inquiries

33 cases have been filed in NAB, four are being dealt by FIA .

ISLAMABAD:

Over 30 high and low ranking officers of the Public Works Department (PWD) are facing inquiries over misappropriation and embezzlement of funds. Of them, 11 are involved in Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) cases, while the rest are accountable to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The Rawalpindi chapter of NAB has filed at least 33 graft cases against PWD officers since 2007, most of whom belong to executive engineer ranks, in the NAB court Rawalpindi. On the other hand, four corruption cases involving at least 11 officers are under investigation by the Punjab chapter of FIA.

“These officers violated Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules while awarding tenders for different projects and misappropriated million of rupees,” said a NAB official, adding that the accused officers did not opt for a plea bargain. Instead, they opted for facing court battles.

Documents made available in the National Assembly last week, showed that in a reference sent to NAB Rawalpindi by PWD in 2007, seven officers were facing accountability courts for alleged misappropriation of funds in the project of repair of four express lifts in Shaheed-e-Millat Secretariat building in Islamabad.



The house was informed that an officer of PWD Executive Engineer Abrar Hussain, booked for alleged corruption under four cases registered by the FIA, died in October this year. He was accused of corruption and violation of PPRA rules during his posting in the Central Civil Division Lahore. He was arrested by FIA investigators but was released on bail by the court in 2010.

Three of them – Amir Zaman Shinwari, Fatehul Mulk and Rehmat Khan – have retired while the case against them is still in court. Along with eight others, these officers were also involved in a case for embezzling funds in Installation of Heating, Ventilation and Air conditioning (IHVA) project for the building.

Three other accused retired, and three others were promoted. Executive Engineer Noor Jamal died while the case was under trial in the court.

In 2012, two references, one relating to financial irregularities in the construction of a bridge over the River Ravi at Kamalia, Toba Tek Singh district, and other regarding the refurbishment of a state guest house Karachi were filed. The NAB authorities were still investigating the cases.

The bureau was also asked to investigate the case of embezzlement of funds in the purchase of 3000 kanals of private land in Bhara Kahu locality of Islamabad for Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF) in June 2009, the National Assembly was informed.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 17^th, 2012.