Three food department officials jailed

SUKKUR: The Accountability Court, Sukkur, while hearing a Rs628 million NAB reference against nine food department officials for misappropriating the amount during wheat procurement, jailed District Food Controller Iqbal Memon, Deputy Director Food Sukkur Rafiq Ahmed and ex-deputy director Food Anees-ur-Rehman.

The judge of Accountability Court, Sukkur, Fareed Anwar Kazi, heard the NAB reference on Thursday. The NAB prosecutor, Sukkur, stated that during the investigation of wheat procurement scandal, it was found that around 19,324.886 metric tons of wheat was stolen from eight flour mills of Sukkur, Rohri, Salehpat, Kashmore, Ghotki, Nausharoferoz and Ghotki. The NAB prosecutor charged nine food department officials, including District Food Controller Iqbal Memon, Deputy Director Food Sukkur Rafiq Ahmed and ex-deputy director Food Anees-ur-Rehman and Nazeer Kandhro, with involvement in the wheat theft. Meanwhile, the Accountability Court, Sukkur, also heard two NAB reference of Rs740 million in assets beyond means case and another case of embezzlement of Rs360 million in procurement of machinery and maintenance case against CM’s Adviser for Prisons Aijaz Khan Jakhrani and others. After the preliminary hearing, the judge adjourned the case till January 2 .