Rs27.4m corruption in salaries of SW cops unearthed

PESHAWAR: An audit report has unearthed an alleged corruption worth Rs27.4 million in the salaries and funds for Levies and Khassadars in South Waziristan tribal district, officials said on Thursday.

Khalid Burki, who served as an accountant at the office of the district police officer, has been arrested and a case registered against him in the City Police Station in Tank for embezzlement in the funds, officials said. Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sanaullah Abbasi told The News that Rs5.3 was deposited to the national exchequer recently after recovery from Mohmand district that had been embezzled.

The IGP said an inquiry is underway about the corruption and financial irregularities in the newly merged districts and other towns. The police chief said corruption would not be tolerated in KP police at any level and strict action would be taken immediately against those involved in corrupt practices.

An official said that the Regional Police Officer of Dera Ismail Khan Yaseen Farooq had to constitute an audit committee after numerous complaints of corruption and irregularities in salaries and funds for law-enforcers in South Waziristan were received in the past months and years. The official added that the accused was an accountant in the office of deputy commissioner but later managed to get transferred to the office of the district police officer, South Waziristan.

The official said the RPO had tasked Tank DPO Arif Khan with a transparent investigation into the case and recovery of the embezzled funds meant for the constables and junior officials of Levies and Khassadar force.