Probe into Int’l Kangaroo Mathematical Contest scam: NAB summons GCU’s ex-VC

LAHORE: National Accountability Bureau has widened the scope of inquiry into International Kangaroo Mathematical Contest scam and has summoned Government College University’s former vice chancellor Prof Dr Khalid Aftab.

The NAB has accused Dr Khalid Aftab of presiding over 17th meeting of board of governors, Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences, Government College University, held on October 23, 2010, wherein the board accorded the approval to AD Raza Chaudhry to organise International Kangaroo Mathematics Contest in Pakistan privately without the logistic support of Abdus Salam School of Mathematics and Government College University. The Bureau has asked Dr Khalid Aftab to appear before the investigation officer Adnan Faisal Gondal and record his statement.

It is pertinent to mention that the Government College University had filed a complaint in NAB against former Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences DG Dr Allah Ditta Raza Chaudhry, alleging that Dr Allah Ditta committed fraud and embezzlement in funds collected from students’ registration fees of International Kangaroo Mathematical Contest. The complaint was moved by DG of the Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences Dr Ghulam Mustafa.

The complaint was moved after an internal investigation which found massive corruption by the former director general. As per internal investigation, Dr Allah Ditta Chaudhry used forged documents to take over the International Kangaroo Mathematics Contest which the Abdus Salam School of Mathematics (ASSMS) used to organise in Pakistan. It was alleged that an amount of Rs278 million had been misappropriated since 2009 while fake receipts were used to embezzle around 20,000 Euros. About 50,000 students appear annually to take part in the Kangaroo test which ASSMS started in Pakistan in 2005. This issue surfaced when GCU VC Dr Hasan Amir Shah ordered an investigation to find out how the Kangaroo contest was being run as a private business by its former director general.

The fact-finding committee of Abdus Salam School of Mathematical Sciences GC University, Lahore, also wrote to Dr Allah Ditta but he didn’t respond.

Association Kangourou sans Frontières (AKSF) President Dr Gregor Dolinar and secretary Dr Luis Caceres informed the committee that various documents which the former DG presented to the board of governors and the school were not from the AKSF.

Gregor Dolinar, president of AKSF, on October 18, 2018, informed the committee that AKSF never received this payment from Dr Allah Ditta and that the receipt provided by Dr Allah Ditta Chaudhry is not from AKSF.