Suspicious bank transactions: Seven inquiries against officials of Sindh Finance dept proposed

KARACHI: The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) of Enquiries and Anti-Corruption Establishment (E&ACE), Sindh, has recommended to initiate seven open inquiries against officials of the Sindh Finance Department and their accomplice bank employees and private persons in a matter of corruption of billions of rupees in pay and pension heads through suspicious bank transactions in different district accounts of the province.

According to the official correspondence, copies of which are available with The News, the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was constituted in March 2021 by Chairman Enquiries and Anti-Corruption Establishment (E&ACE) Iqbal Memon following a request of the Finance Department, Sindh, to probe the matter of alleged corruption of billions of rupees in pay and pension heads through suspicious bank transactions.

In this regard, the head of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) directed the manager of a local bank, Nausheroferoze branch, to appear before the JIT, along with the record of accounts of 24 individuals, almost all residents of District Dadu.

In a letter addressed to the bank manager, he was told that Enquiries and Anti-Corruption Establishment (E&ACE), Sindh, was conducting the investigation on the fake accounts opened in different district accounts offices in Sindh and from the perusal of the bank statements and record, it has been observed that an amount of Rs315.2 million was transferred into the suspicious accounts of 24 persons from his branch.

The manager has been directed to submit the ‘instruments of bank’, copies of cheques, vouchers through that amount was transferred, name of the department from where aforementioned amount was transferred in these suspicious accounts, copies of authority letters of District Accounts Officer (DAO); incumbency of officers of the bank i.e. Relationship Manager, Business Developer (who had opened the said accounts), Manager Operation and Branch Manager. Earlier in February, 2021, the Sindh Finance Department had informed the provincial anti-corruption body regarding the suspicious payments of salaries and pensions made through 139 bank accounts to 59 individuals.

The secretary Finance Department, Sindh, has asked the chairman Enquiries and Anti-Corruption Establishment (E&ACE) that during the course of the department’s internal inquiry, it has been revealed that suspicious pay and pension payments have been made to 59 individuals through their 139 bank accounts.