Gujrat police fraud accused seek acquittal

LAHORE:The accused police officers and other nominated accused in Gujrat police funds embezzlement reference have moved the court seeking acquittal.

The accountability court judge after receiving applications of the accused has summoned prosecution and counsel of the accused to argue the matter by November 15. In this case, the NAB had probed four former DPOs of Gujrat including SP Kamran Mumtaz, SSP Rai Ijaz, SSP Sohail Zafar Chattha and Rai Zameer.

As per NAB claims, all four former DPOs during their tenure in Gujrat had embezzled billions under different heads of procurement, including petrol, uniforms, martyr funds, fake vouchers, pensions and alleged ghost employments. It is pertinent to mention that top police officials including Rai Ejaz and Kamran Mumtaz were arrested by the NAB. Later, both of them had secured bails from the Lahore High Court. The NAB had arrested SP Kamran Mumtaz after his return from Australia where he had gone for attending a professional course.

The Bureau has accused him of embezzling Rs550 million under different heads including petrol bills, allowances and martyrs funds of the Police Department during his posting as Gujrat DPO (2015-16).

The NAB has accused SSP Rai Ijaz of causing a loss of Rs700 million to the exchequer through alleged misappropriation of police funds during his posting as Gujrat DPO. According to NAB, Ijaz spent Rs1.3 billion funds in eight months and allegedly misappropriated millions of rupees.

He is also accused of involvement in appointment of “ghost” police constables. Ijaz’s father Rai Zameer, a former DPO of Gujrat, is also wanted in this case. The other accused who were arrested by the NAB in this case included former District Accounts Officer, Gujrat Chan Peer (2016-17), District Accounts Officer, Gujrat M Afzal (2014-16), M Fayyaz Naqdi Muharar DPO Office, Gujrat, Rameez Ahmad ex-constable DPO Office Gujrat, M Ashraf Senior Auditor Accounts Gujrat, M Asif Butt Bank Manager, Gujrat and Shakeel Ahmad, Bank Operation Manager, Gujrat.

transgender: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday sought a 10-year record from Punjab chief secretary of giving jobs to transgender people in various departments. Justice Shujaat Ali Khan was hearing a petition filed by Nawaz Ashi Jaan against not giving jobs to eunuchs in police. The court directed the chief secretary to state how many eunuchs were given jobs in the last ten years and in which departments.

The petitioner's lawyer said the Supreme Court had ordered giving equal employment opportunities to the eunuchs but the same was not being implemented and the departments including the police were ignoring this order.

The petitioner requested the court to direct the Punjab government to comply with SC's order about employment of eunuchs in government departments. The court adjourned the hearing till November 29.