ACE unearths embezzlement of health funds

PESHAWAR: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has unearthed embezzlement of funds in the offices of the district health officer (DHO), Lakki Marwat and other departments, a source said on Wednesday.

The source said that the Health Department had forwarded the case to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary.

The case was later sent to the ACE Director Usman Zaman. Assistant Director Naseer Ali was tasked with probing the issue and submitting a report.

“The findings of the team disclosed an embezzlement of around Rs19.52 million since 2011 till February 2017.

The funds were embezzled by the incumbent and two former DHOs and other junior officials of the district,” the source said while quoting an inquiry report.

The inquiry disclosed that an official having a fake degree was recruited in 2011 and his documents were later replaced in 2013 when he was re-recruited.

“An amount of Rs1.90 million was embezzled in terms of the salary of the official recruited through the fake degree. Besides, Rs4.2 million were embezzled through salaries and allowances of seven officials recruited without advertising the positions,” said the inquiry report of the case.

The report disclosed that other irregularities were also made in running affairs of the DHO office in recent past.

It disclosed the fraudulent withdrawal of transport and daily allowances, fake medical bills, transport charges and illegal appointments.

“Since the inquiry involves officers in grade-19 and grade-20, considering the Rule 3(3) read with Rule 9 of the ACE Rules 1999, prior approval for conducting an open inquiry is a pre-requisite to be obtained from the chief secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” the finding of the ACE concluded.

The source said that the ACE had also conducted inquiries and submitted its report in embezzlement of funds in the cattle market in Badaber, Town-IV.

“In another inquiry into irregularities in the purchase of wheat by the authorities in Chitral, the ACE found embezzlement of Rs 29 million and recommended registration of case against the contractors and officials involved,” said the source.