Charges of corruption: ED issues charge-sheet to Nacta officials

The said officials had reportedly formed a gang, which was involved in corruption, blackmailing and harassment.

ISLAMABAD:

The Establishment Division has issued charge-sheet to three officials of National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) for their alleged involvement in corruption, blackmailing and harassment, sources told Express investigation Cell (EIC).

The division took action against the officials’ ‘gang’ on the basis of a departmental inquiry conducted by Athar Hussain Sial, a 21-grade interior ministry officer.

The inquiry report had confirmed the corruption and wrongdoings of Syed Hyder Ali, Khyzer Hayat Nagra and Zeeshan Anjum – respectively the Nacta’s national coordinator, director administration and assistant director administration – between 2010 and 2013.

Requesting anonymity a senior official of interior ministry confirmed issuance of charge sheet to the officials. “The accused have been asked to submit their reply on the charges by April 15,” the official said, adding that the accused were issued charge sheet last week personally.

The charge-sheet has been issued on four counts—misconduct, indulgence in corruption, misuse of authority for personal gains and blackmailing and harassing other officials of Nacta.

After confirmation of allegations in the departmental inquiry, interior ministry stopped the accused from performing their official duties in January last.  Later, Syed Hyder Ali was suspended and he was made an officer on special duty (OSD) and put on the disposal of the Establishment Division till final conclusion of the inquiry.

Khyzer Hayat Nagra, who according to the inquiry report, was a motivating force to form the gang of his likeminded officials that subsequently turned Nacta into a rogue organisation, was sent back to his parent department – Intelligence Bureau (IB).

Zeeshan Anjum – third member of the gang – was also sent back to Employees Old-age Benefit Institution (EOBI), his parent department. The EOBI had sacked him for being a political inductee. However, after the charge-sheet, he will not be eligible for any government job in the future.

The charge-sheet has serious consequences for Syed Hyder Ali and Khyzer Hayat Nagra, who, if failed to clear their positions against the allegations, can face the major penalty of losing government jobs.

The charge sheet refers manhandling by of Khushdil Khan, a 20 grade officer and taping of cell telephone of a senior female officer of Nacta by the gang. The gang had beaten Khushdil Khan in July 2013, when he refused to sign a back-dated document.

After hours of harassment and illegal confinement Khushdil Khan was saved and rescued by a constable on duty in Nacta office in F-8 sector in Islamabad. The female officer whose cell phone was tapped by the gang for blackmailing her was later transferred to the Interior ministry.

The gang has been allegedly getting money for different assignments in Nacta. They have also been accused of controversial hiring at Nacta in 2013, an event which was widely reported in the media.

The Interior ministry had taken notice of these complaints and constituted a committee, which submitted its inquiry report to the Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. Nisar later directed the authorities concerned to send the case to Establishment Division for strict action against the gang.

On the basis of the findings of the inquiry committee, Interior ministry also scrapped the list of the qualified candidates last year.

The government constituted Nacta to fight the ongoing terrorism and take measures which could ensure weeding out of the menace from the country.  After getting legal authority in May 2013, Nacta was to get top level professionals to get the desired result.

Hiring of professionals for such a significant organisation was equally important, but the charge-sheeted gang of corrupt official took it as a golden opportunity to make money.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 14^th, 2014.