RAWALPINDI: Ten policemen suspended in recent months for cheating on the fuel their official vehicles consumed in performing their duties, were ‘temporarily’ reinstated before Eidul Azha. But departmental investigations are continuing.

CIA Superintendent of Police Haroon Joiya, who is conducting the investigations, was not available for comments. But the Motor Transport Officer of the department, Raja Aftab Ahmed, confirmed the information.

“They allegedly profited from faulty speedometers. Everybody knows what beaten down cars and motorcycles are in use in the police department,” the officer said.

A source close to the investigations, however, claimed that one of the alleged-corrupt police drivers, who used to pilot the convoys of Punjab’s chief minister and police chief and other VIPs during their visits to Rawalpindi and Islamabad, confessed he stole fuel but was “helpless to share the reason why”.

Another accused police driver admitted to using a device that made the digital speedometer of his vehicle run faster. That allowed him to claim more fuel which he sold for profit.

A sub-inspector of the motor transport wing asked to keep a vigil at the designated petrol station at Mareer Chowk finally caught some of the tricksters and the City Police Officer ordered a probe into the matter.

About the same time that the 10 suspended fuel thieves were reinstated in their jobs, Constable Abdul Jabbar was booked on the charge of “misappropriating 200 litres of diesel”.

A police source said he submitted bogus invoices for the fuel for the period September 2-16, when his official vehicle RIG-1197 was in fact being repaired in a workshop.

But it was not a unique case. There have been numerous complaints of policemen fraudulently claiming reimbursement for fuel, tyres and auto-parts for their official vehicles.

Published in Dawn, October 15th , 2014