Rawalpindi:
A Committee for Investigation of Acts, constituted by the Chief Secretary of Punjab to investigate an important financial scandal that involves the embezzlement of RS.1.94 billion funds in public funds and alleged negligence and carelessness by the authorities that have financial signatory powers in the Development Authority of Rawalpindi (RDA), has officially launched its investigation.
During its first meeting held at Lahore, the Committee raised several concerns regarding the Flax Financial Management System, demanding complete records of the RDA bank accounts and the transfer of funds through the receipts of call deposits (CDR) to other banks.
The next meeting is expected to be held on June 19, during which all administration and finance directors of the last nine years have been summoned. The decision regarding the invocation of former general director will be taken later.
The matter is already under investigation by two separate forums: the National Office of Responsibility (NAB) and the Punjab (ACE) anti -corruption establishment, the Rawalpindi region. Simultaneously, the Investigation Committee formed by the main secretary of Punjab met at the Mudassar Waheed Malik office, members of members, the Punjab Income Board, who is also the investigation coordinator. Other members present included Moazzam Iqbal Supra, MD of the Punjab Government Housing Housing Foundation, and Madiha Tahir Shah, Additional Secretary A & H.
De la RDA, Director General Kinza Murtaza, Deputy Director Iftikhar Janjua, and Deputy Director Waqar Asghar Raja appeared before the committee.
Concern about Ex-DD death sparks
The Committee also reviewed the recent mysterious death, possibly suicide or murder, by Junaid Taj Bhatti, the former financial deputy director of RDA and former DG of Pha Sialkot. Bhatti died under suspicious circumstances in his Sialkot office on May 13. His death has added greater complexity to the scandal.
The research meeting lasted about an hour. The problems raised and the requested records will be thoroughly examined in the next session scheduled for Thursday, June 19 at Lahore.
Systemic supervision, audit failures
This is considered the greatest financial scandal in the history of RDA, which covers almost a decade. Although the RDA accounts were regularly audited every year, the embezzlement of mass funds went unnoticed.
Surprisingly, none of the authorized financial officials, including general directors and administration and finance directors, requested or reviewed bank extracts to trace fund transfers, a law that could have exposed the issue much earlier and led to the establishment of a safer financial system.
During this period, the Divisional Commissioners of Rawalpindi also served as interferential DGS of RDA, including the current secretary living Punjab. Several DMG group officers, some of whom are now retired or serve in other high -ranking positions, also maintained the DG RDA position during this time.
Suspended contractor payments
The contractors and their families faced difficulties during Eidul Azha’s holidays, since no payments were made during the last month or so.
Routine operations have been severely interrupted after the exposure of a financial scandal in government funds approximately one month ago. Since the scandal arose, all payments to contractors have been suspended.
When the RDA spokesman was contacted, the general director Kinza Murtaza said that payments would soon be made to the contractors. However, no explanation was provided about why the payments had been delayed so far or why the contractors had been in danger.
