A rare case of bureaucracy’s accountability

ISLAMABAD: The dismissal of Sindh home secretary by the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is a rare episode of government servants accountability as for the last many years there has been no such removal from service of any high-profile bureaucrat under efficiency and disciplinary rules.
Senior DMG officer Kabir Qazi’s dismissal after an inquiry has served as a surprise for even many in the bureaucracy whose members have been involved in numerous mega corruption cases and misuse of power during the last many years but hardly any bureaucrat belonging to influential cadres and groups has been punished with the dismissal from service.
Sources in the bureaucracy say that there is a large number of bureaucrats who are facing criminal cases as well as disciplinary proceedings, yet they are enjoying government posts. “It speaks volumes about the incompetence of the official personnel management apparatus,” the source said.
Qazi was challaned by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) under present government, along with former PM Yusuf Raza Gilani and ex-Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim, in 19 corruption cases of Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) but still the Sindh opted to first appoint him as secretary local government and then gave him additional responsibility of all important secretary home.
Interestingly, these alleged corruption cases of the TDAP are under trial in special court of Karachi. Dozens of other officers are either arrested or facing trail. The just dismissed Qazi, who had worked as TDAP secretary, was presented in the last apex committee meeting held in Karachi as “newly appointed Home Secretary”.
According to a PM Office source, the premier has given a “no nonsense” message to federal bureaucrats posted in Sindh and other provinces by dismissing the serving LG and Home Secretary. “It is a rare occasion in even decades that a senior serving DMG officer has been dismissed for corruption after due process,” the source said, adding, “It also proves the point the law and procedure does provide for taking corrupt to task if will at top is there.”
The TDAP scam is about the Rs1.27b fraudulent disbursement of subsidies to bogus private companies through fabricated claims and backdated cheques by the Trade Development Authority Pakistan (TDAP) under the Strategic Trade Policy Framework (STPF) 2009-2012.
The FIA inquiry into the matter as has already been reported by the media, an amount of about Rs250m to Dubai through Hawala/ Hundi in account No18498715201 (IBAN-AE67-0440-0000-1849-8715-201). Six amounts totalling Rs81,741,400 or UAE Dirham 34,15,320 were sent in the second half of 2011 to Exchange Co in Dubai from where these were deposited in account No18498715201 (IBAN-AE67-0440-0000-1849-8715-201), maintained with the SCB Dubai. These included Rs22,544,400 (Dirham 956,372) sent on June 13; Rs15,492,000 (Dirham 655,270) transmitted on June 25; US$150,000 equal to Rs12,915,000 (Dirham 546,320) sent on July 9; Rs3,790,000 (Dirham 159,134) transmitted on August 15; Rs2m (Dirham 79,365) sent on September 26; and Rs25m (Dirham 1,018,859) on December 15.
Another two huge amounts totalling Rs35m or US$418,579 were also sent in the year 2012 to the Exchange Co. in Dubai from where these were transmitted by telegraphic transfer (TT) through Wall Street Exchange Centre, LCC Dubai, UAE. Of them, an amount of Rs20m or $215,079 was sent to Dubai on February 2, and a sum of Rs15,000,000 or $203,500 transmitted on February 8.
Again, an amount of Rs919,000 or $10,000 was sent to Exchange Co in Dubai from where it was transferred by TT through Wall Street Exchange Centre LLC Dubai.
Another amount of Rs8,700,000 or British Pound 60,000 was transmitted to Exchange Co in Dubai from where it was transferred by TT through Wall Street Exchange Centre LLC Dubai. An amount of Rs11,898,655 or Dirham 476,900 was also sent to Exchange Co in Dubai from where it was deposited in account No18498715201 (IBAN-AE67-0440-0000-1849-8715-201).
On August 31, the FIA registered an FIR (first information report) under section 3/4 of Money Laundering Act-VII 2010 and sections 161, 164, 165-A and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) against Farhan Junejo, his family members and others.