Regulating the regulators : Former HERA secretary arrested for embezzling funds
Given into NAB custody for 7-day physical remand.
The accused was allegedly involved in embezzling the regulatory body’s money by depositing dues meant for HERA in his personal bank account. PHOTO: FILE
PESHAWAR:
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested Gulzar Ali, former secretary to the Higher Education Regulatory Authority’s (HERA) chairman, on Wednesday. An accountability court has handed Ali into NAB’s custody for 7 days.
The accused was allegedly involved in embezzling the regulatory body’s money by depositing dues meant for HERA in his personal bank account. In order to hide the malpractice, Ali reportedly tampered with the books at HERA.
The accused previously refused to appear before the departmental enquiry committee constituted by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Directorate of Higher Education. He is said to have destroyed and/or concealed relevant office records.
Unable to recover the looted money, HERA requested NAB K-P to investigate the accused and recovered the allegedly embezzled amount.
Bypassing official accounts
Private colleges and universities operating in K-P are supposed to be registered with HERA – they do so by depositing registration and annual renewal fees. For this purpose, HERA maintains an official bank account.
Ali allegedly directed some educational institutes to deposit their fees in his personal bank account at Muslim Commercial Bank’s University Town Branch.
Forensic analysis of the bank records corroborated the accusations made by officials of colleges and universities.
According to complainants, Ali allegedly used to demand and obtain money in the name of travel and daily allowance during his scrutiny visits to these establishments. In some cases, Ali is said to have overcharged these institutes for HERA registration and renewal fees.
The accused was produced before an accountability court in Peshawar on Wednesday, where he was awarded a 7-day physical remand in NAB’s custody.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 5th, 2014.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested Gulzar Ali, former secretary to the Higher Education Regulatory Authority’s (HERA) chairman, on Wednesday. An accountability court has handed Ali into NAB’s custody for 7 days.
The accused was allegedly involved in embezzling the regulatory body’s money by depositing dues meant for HERA in his personal bank account. In order to hide the malpractice, Ali reportedly tampered with the books at HERA.
The accused previously refused to appear before the departmental enquiry committee constituted by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Directorate of Higher Education. He is said to have destroyed and/or concealed relevant office records.
Unable to recover the looted money, HERA requested NAB K-P to investigate the accused and recovered the allegedly embezzled amount.
Bypassing official accounts
Private colleges and universities operating in K-P are supposed to be registered with HERA – they do so by depositing registration and annual renewal fees. For this purpose, HERA maintains an official bank account.
Ali allegedly directed some educational institutes to deposit their fees in his personal bank account at Muslim Commercial Bank’s University Town Branch.
Forensic analysis of the bank records corroborated the accusations made by officials of colleges and universities.
According to complainants, Ali allegedly used to demand and obtain money in the name of travel and daily allowance during his scrutiny visits to these establishments. In some cases, Ali is said to have overcharged these institutes for HERA registration and renewal fees.
The accused was produced before an accountability court in Peshawar on Wednesday, where he was awarded a 7-day physical remand in NAB’s custody.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 5th, 2014.