Return looted money or face criminal cases

ISLAMABAD, Kurrent News: The subcommittee of Public Accounts Committee warned the officers of health ministry on Wednesday that criminal cases would be initiated against them if they failed in paying back the embezzled amount drawn on account of project allowance.

According to the audit brief, 41 officials of the Ministry of Health had made unauthorised withdrawal of Rs 1,210,191 on account of project allowance in National Programme for Family Planning and Primary Health Care during the period 1994-95 and 1997-98.

The committee met under chair of Yasmin Rahman and the meeting was attended by Hamid Yar Haraj and Secretary Health Khushnood Akhtar Lashari. It said the PAC, dissatisfied with the reply of the health ministry, had directed the PAO to recover the amount observed by the Audit. Then the PAC had modified its earlier decision on humanitarian basis and had directed that recovery in the case be affected only from concerned officers of Grade 17 and above.

The representatives of the health ministry told the committee that despite repeated requests, the four concerned officials did not pay back the amount. They preferred to move the Federal Services Tribunal that had asked the PAC to reconsider its decision and not to recover the amount.

The FST decision infuriated the committee, which said the FST had nothing to do with the case and the subcommittee would endorse the previous decision of the PAC, directing the officers to pay the amount.

According to audit brief, the four officials who owed the amount included Matiullah Khan (JS F&D), Yasin Ahmad (JS F&I), Manzoor Ahmad Malal (DS Budget) and Mujahid Husain Naqvi (SO F&A). However, the chair directed the health ministry to warn the officers below 17-scale through a letter not to recommit such corruption.

“The subcommittee would endorse the PAC’s decision. The recovery would be made according to rules and regulations. The officials of below 17-scale would also face action if they recommit corruption,” said Yasmin Rahman.

The committee assured the ministry of all-out support for the recovery and said if the officers failed to pay the amount back, another directive may be issued and directed the ministry to submit a report on the matter.

Meanwhile, the committee also directed the health ministry to send a summary to the Law and Justice Ministry for deputation of a legal officer to examine day-to-day cases and submit a report to the committee within a month.