Internal accountability: From CDA inquiries, no fears for fry and fish alike

Only three lower cadre officials punished; censured officer currently on CDA board.

ISLAMABAD:

The last six years have seen the Capital Development Authority (CDA) internally process some 82 cases of financial and administrative irregularities.

During these inquiries, some 175 officers and junior officials of the authority including a former CDA chairman, two board members, one director-general, two deputy director generals, 11 directors, 25 deputy directors, 21 assistant directors and 19 sub-engineers were investigated.

Documents available with The Express Tribune say that out of 82, the authority completed and finalised 43 inquiries, while 39 are still under way.

These 82 inquiries were internally initiated and do not include dozens of cases of financial corruption and embezzlement initiated by the Federal Investigation Agency and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) or inquiries under process at the Establishment Division.



Interestingly, in the 43 completed inquiries, not a single officer of BS-16 or above was given any significant punishment — either the investigation officers found them not guilty or they were issued minor punishments such as warnings or censure.

Meanwhile, three lower grade officials were dismissed from service, while one driver was forced to retire.

Almost all officers indicted in the inquiries are currently holding important posts, with one officer of the CDA cadre who was censured in an inquiry currently appointed as a CDA board member.

CDA Administration Member Amer Ali Ahmad said there are no pending inquiries at the CDA, but 39 are under process.

He said the CDA can only initiate inquiries only against CDA cadre staff, while inquiries against officers on deputation at the CDA must be carried out by the Establishment Division after the CDA makes a formal request.

Amer said that inquiries are sometimes delayed due to parallel proceedings in court cases or changes of inquiry officers.

These 82 inquiries include an inquiry initiated by the CDA — later handed over to the Establishment Division — relating to former CDA chairman Farkhand Iqbal, who is currently in detention in a plot allotment scam.

The inquiry relates to some files which went missing from the office of the CDA chairman. After his removal from the CDA, Farkhand Iqbal allegedly removed a number of important files which remain missing.

A senior CDA officer who declined to be named blamed the inquiry officers for the lack of real punishments, saying they conclude almost all inquiries involving millions of rupees in graft by terming the officers and officials not guilty and giving minor punishments.

He claimed staffers facing corruption charges just “offer inquiry committee members a piece of the pie to avoid serious punishment and get a clean chit”.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2014.