March 28, 2008	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 19, 1429

FAISALABAD, March 27: The Anti-corruption Establishment has arrested the former treasurer and a head clerk of the Government College University, Faisalabad, on corruption charges in the light of findings of a committee constituted by the varsity management, sources told Dawn on Thursday.

They said former GCUF vice-chancellor Dr Asif Iqbal had constituted a committee to conduct a probe into the matter after receiving complaints about alleged involvement of university head clerk Shabbir Shah in monetary corruption.

The committee comprising Arshad Javeed (chairman), Fawad Hafeez and Mohammad Amin secretly gathered information about all transactions and cheques issued during the period ranging from year 2002 to February 2006.

The sources said the committee had come to the conclusion that about Rs137.2 million had been illegally withdrawn from the varsity account. The committee recommended that a case should be filed with the ACE against the official, sources said.

They said ACE Deputy Director (investigation) Saqlain Abbas interrogated Shabbir Shah who initially admitted that he embezzled a few thousand rupees. Sources said during the investigation, Shah alleged that former GCUF treasurer Qazi Khalil Ahmed was responsible for wrong payments and transactions. Qazi Khalil was appointed as treasurer on contract which could not be renewed.

Following the information provided by Shabbir Shah, the investigation officer arrested Mr Qazi and quizzed him about illegal transactions of Rs3.9 million through 162 cheques issued on different dates. But Qazi denied the charges.

The investigators have confiscated all record of the NBP’s Jinnah Colony branch.

Sources said the scope of probe would be expanded.