Some 22 government officers and contractors arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) were sent to jail on remand for nine days on Monday.
The second civil judge and judicial magistrate, Sukkur, gave these orders for the officers accused of large-scale corruption in development works under schemes initiated by MNAs and senators in Sukkur district.
On June 17, the FIA team led by its deputy director Abdul Hameed Bhutto raided the offices of the Pakistan public works department (PWD), provincial buildings department, highway department and education works department and others and arrested 22 men on alleged charges of misappropriating development funds. The arrested persons included the officers of these departments and some contractors enjoying the support of different politicians, according to sources.
Bhutto told The Express Tribune that the Supreme Court of Pakistan had received some complaints and told the FIA to probe the matter. “We raided different offices of the Pakistan PWD, provincial buildings department and education works department and took into custody the records, including tenders and measurement books of different works from the year 2010 to 2013. According to him, various development works were not found up to the mark according to the tenders and measurement books. While going through the records, he said the FIA has detected misappropriation of Rs60.5 million. An FIR has been lodged against them and further investigations are under way.
“Some other development works pertaining to overhead bridges and roads are also under investigation,” he pointed out. “The crackdown against these corrupt officials will start once we determine the losses caused to the national exchequer.”
The development works in question were executed through the funds of National Assembly opposition leader and MNA Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Senator Islamuddin Shaikh and the prime minister. Sources further claimed that the action against the corrupt officers and contractors was initiated after getting a green signal from the MNA and the senator. Bhutto said, however, that action against the accused was taken on the directives of the Supreme Court after a Sukkur resident filed a complaint.
On June 18, the court had granted a five-day remand of the accused for interrogation. Apparently to avoid questioning, nine of the 22 officers fell sick and were admitted to Civil Hospital, Sukkur. However, all the accused were produced before the second civil judge and judicial magistrate on Monday. After hearing the investigation officer, the court granted nine-day jail custody remand of the accused.
Some sources privy to the development said that the arrested officers and contractors have moved a bail application in the FIA court in Hyderabad and it is likely that they will be bailed out.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 24th, 2014.
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