ISLAMABAD: Dr Umar Lodhi, who raised a storm by alleging corruption in the supply of medicines and nitrogen and oxygen gases to the city’s Federal Government Services Hospital (FGSH), did not join the investigation into his allegations and is untraceable, a federal law officer informed the Supreme Court on Thursday.

A report submitted by the Deputy Attorney General Nayab Gardezi to the Supreme Court, which had instituted suo motu proceedings into Dr Lodhi’s allegations, stated that the complainant neither appeared before the probe committee that the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) had constituted nor could be located.

In his complaint to the court, Dr Lodhi had alleged that the acting executive director of the hospital, Dr Iftikhar Naru, and his wife were partners in the Crescent Traders and Business Developers companies which, he claimed, held long-term contracts awarded illegally for supplying medical equipment and gases to FGSH, also known as Polyclinic.

The government report said the Polyclinic administration sent invitation letters to Dr Lodhi directly and through the president of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) to join the proceedings of the probe committee and record his statement. But he failed to respond.

His status of being an FGSH employee also could not be ascertained from both the hospital records and the YDA records.

Neither was any doctor by the name of Umar Lodhi under training or employed in the FGSH, according to the hospital administration.

Malik Rehmat Manzoor and Noor Ahmad Rana of the two businesses - Business Developers and Crescent Traders - have, meanwhile, denied having any business connections or personal arrangements with Dr Naru.

They submitted written statements on oath to the effect, along with attested copies of FBR registration certificates, acknowledgment slips for filing income tax returns, partnership deeds and bank statements of their business concerns.

Examination of the documents of the contractors showed no business association of Dr Naru, or his wife, with the companies, said the government report. Dr Naru appeared before the committee to deny the allegations leveled against him and his wife.

Dr Naru also submitted attested copies of educational certificates of his wife to the committee which suggested that she was an educationist by profession but currently not employed. She was rather a fulltime housewife.

Hospital records showed Crescent Traders and Business Developers as supply contractors to the Polyclinic but no mention of Dr Naru and his wife as their business partners.

According to the government report, both the businesses secured their contracts for the supply of medical gases to Polyclinic through competitive process in accordance with PPRA rules. The Crescent Traders is the officially selected contractor for the repair and maintenance of electric appliances and air conditioners at the Polyclinic.

It also noted that Dr Naru, being senior most Deputy Executive Director (BS-19), was assigned his current charge of Joint Executive Director (BS-20) with the approval of the competent authority in accordance with the rules.

Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2016