March 30, 2003	Sunday	Muharram 26, 1424

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MANSEHRA,  March 29: An audit team has held the former vice-chancellor and treasurer of Hazara University responsible for misappropriation of Rs8.2 million, it is learnt.

Sources said a huge amount had been drawn from the university’s account during October 2001 to November 2002 without following the rules and regulations. Most of the files requiring sanction by the VC bore only the word  “sanctioned” written by him without his signatures.

The account was opened in the Dab branch of National Bank here, where the manager at that time was a relative of the former VC. The NBP branch at Dhodiyal village was only 1km away from the university.

A summary of the audit report was sent to the NWFP governor, following which the Governor’s Inspection Team inspected the university accounts and found more irregularities.

The team has, according to sources, unearthed irregularities in purchase of 26 Pentium-III computers from an Islamabad-based firm, Flowtech. They said the firm had agreed to furnish 26 Pentium-III computers at the rate of  Rs32,000 per computer to the university but it allegedly supplied used Pentium-II computers worth not more than Rs10,000 each.

The governor has recommended to the authorities concerned blacklisting of the firm, sources said.

The inspection team observed that there was no justification for  expenditure of Rs2.956 million from the Rs3 million collected for  the university by the former district Nazim, Senator Mohammad Azam Khan Swati, from Pakistani philanthropists in the United States, sources said.