Coolly corrupt

This refers to the news story, ‘Rangers reveal kickbacks of billions taken by Dr Asim’ (September 24). It appears from the news item that corrupt elements are playing with the naiveté or incompetence of the investigating authorities to gain time on the cases. If one looks at the history of investigations of corruption allegations conviction records are rather grim. It has always been the policy of the corrupt to prolong the investigation and if a case reaches court then cause delays through smart lawyers till such time that all witnesses are either dead, turn hostile or end up with amnesia.
It seems that Dr Asim and his fellow accused are playing with the investigators by naming innocent and honest individuals of other organisations. It was mentioned in the report that Dr Asim was taking bribe of Rs2 billion from Pakistan State Oil (PSO). The daily sales revenue of PSO is around the same number; how it is possible that all the revenue of PSO is taken as a bribe? According to various sources in the oil industry, the procedures that were put in place by the late MD of PSO, Shaukat Raza Mirza, and Tariq Kirmani in 2001 are so strong that no individual is in a position to indulge in blatant wrongdoing. Thus by implicating honest officers the arrested individual has managed to send investigators on a wild goose chase, while also prolonging the investigation and sending out the message to whoever controls him that he has not confessed to the crimes. These corrupt people and their associates are smarter than the investigators.
Mumrez Khan
Islamabad