FIA to probe into use of ‘fake’ paper in bidding

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is probing into the submission of an allegedly fake credit worthiness certificate of a bank as bidding document for setting up second LNG terminal in Karachi.
The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) already cancelled the tender for the second LNG terminal on June 23.
The inquiry has been launched on the complaint of Ahmed Bilal Rashid, regional distribution head of north retail banking of a UAE bank.
The agency will also investigate the involvement of a bank official in issuing the alleged certificate to Akbar Associates which had won the bid.
The bank lodged the complaint with the FIA DG on June 12, requesting him to initiate criminal proceedings against the accused and investigate his involvement in preparation of an alleged forged document and allegedly using the same as a genuine document.
On a query of SSGC about issuance of credit worthiness certificate, the bank stated that it had confirmed to the SSGC that the certificate was fake, as signatures did not match with those of the authorised signatories.
The bank said they also inquired from the accused relationship manager Hasnain Haider Hamdani who denied having issued any certificate.
The bank stated that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) also initiated an inquiry into the matter.
During the inquiry, the SBP informed the bank that they had received an anonymous letter which was purportedly signed by Hamdani who had confirmed to the SBP that he had issued the certificate.
The complainant bank said they again tried to contact Hamdani about the SBP claim, but could not as he had been absent from duty for the last one month. He has not responded to any phone calls and notice as yet.
According to the complaint, on June 8, the bank received another letter from SSGCL along with a copy of affidavit dated June 1, 2015 sworn by Hamdani, in which he alleged that the said certificate was processed and issued by F-8 branch of the bank on the request of ADOS (Pvt) Limited, Jamal Akbar Ansari, Zia Akbar Ansari, Sheikh Usman Ahmed and Chaudhry Tassaduq Hussain.
Hamdani, according to the bank, had further stated in his affidavit that he had delivered the alleged certificate by hand at the office of ADOS Pakistan Ltd.
The bank further stated that the management of Akbar Associates (Pvt) Limited allegedly used the said certificate in the bidding documents submitted for LNG Import Terminal Project (Tender Inquiry No SSGC/SC/5769) floated by SSGCL.
The bank had also confirmed to the SSGCL that neither it nor any of its branches was authorised to issue such certificate and no policy or process existed in the bank whereby any branch or any employee of could have processed or issued such certificate.
According to the bank, its employee, Hamdani, is absent from office since May 22, 2015 despite the fact that numerous notices followed by a show-cause notice were issued to him.
When contacted on Tuesday, Sheikh Usman Ahmed, one of the directors of Akbar Associates, told this correspondent that his company had not done anything wrong and if summoned they would appear before the FIA to record their statement.
"We are not afraid of any inquiry, as we have not committed any wrongdoing in the bidding process. Our competitors were involved in mudslinging for their vested interests."
Efforts were also made to reach Hamdani at his cell number 0333-5559225 on Tuesday and Wednesday but of no avail.
It may be noted that on May 8, 2015, Akbar Associates won the bid for constructing the second LNG terminal in the country by offering the lowest tariff.
The SSGCL had short-listed two bidders - Pakistan Gas Port Limited and Akbar Associates - for the purpose.
The work on the project is required to be completed in 24 months in order to establish a capacity of 400 million cubic feet of LNG per day for SSGCL.