ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has begun investigating alleged corruption in a tree plantation campaign along Islamabad Highway.

The case caught the attention of the FIA after almost four years. In a letter dated July 17, 2017, the agency sought a complete record of the case from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI).

Sources in the MCI said the CDA’s Environment Directorate in 2012, through a contractor, planted 10,170 – 29pc – out of 35,000 plants, and only 1,265 poles out of 2,270 – 55pc – were erected as part of a Rs17 million project.

The CDA’s de novo inquiry report in the case said the installation of barbed wire was also part of the project, but there is no sign of fixed barbed wire either.

“The agency is conducting an [inquiry] into the alleged corruption and corrupt practices committed by CDA officers in award/ execution of subject project.

“Certified true copy of record pertaining to the project, spring tree plantation campaign, erection of poles and fencing with barbed wire may urgently provided to proceed further,” the FIA letter, which is available with Dawn, said.

The FIA sought the project file, details of the scope of work, tender documents, bills, measurement book, a record of all the payments made to the contractor and a copy of the CDA’s own inquiries.

The CDA’s de novo inquiry was conducted in 2015 by then member planning Waseem Ahmed Khan and finance officer Tahir Hamid. It fixed responsibility on five CDA officers but no action was taken against them, and four of them continue to hold important posts in the authority.

The inquiry report stated: “The responsibility of loss sustained by CDA is solely rest upon following officers: Director General Environment, Dr. Sheikh Suleman, Mohammad Irshad, then director environment region Mohammad Ifthikar Ahmed Awan, then deputy director general, then deputy director Irfan Azeem Khan and then additional director Ghezwan Shamshad.”

Mr Irshad is currently the zoo director, Mr Awan is now retired, Mr Khan is currently the CDA’s director environment east and Mr Shamshad is currently the director environment.

Sources in the human resource department said no action has been taken against the four officials in light of the CDA inquiry report except for charge sheets that were issued some months ago.

They said that in 2011, Mr Shamshad was removed from his post from the President Secretariat, and the Aiwan-i-Sadar said that the “repute of officer is very bad in management as well as financial issue”, in a letter dated Nov 28, 2011. Mr Shamshad was later given an important role in the aforementioned tree plantation campaign.

The CDA’s inquiry said the contractor did not comply with the contract’s terms and conditions, which said that work had to be completed within a month between April 1 and April 30, 2009. However, the report said the work continued until July to August 2012.

The contractor received the full payment and security was released, but the work was not carried out in accordance with the requirements. Maintenance of the plants was the contractor’s responsibility for two years, with effect from May 1, 2009 to April 30, 2011 – after the work had been completed.

The report said that the record showed that the project was not completed in 2012, and the maintenance period was to commence after the completion of work. However, in 2013, the then additional director park had submitted the case for the finalisation of accounts and the account was finalised the same year.

The report also said that work was abnormally delayed, but no action was suggested against the contractor for the whole three year period.

“The De-Novo inquiry has been conducted after a long period of three years, no doubt that the availability of plants, erected poles and fixed barbed wire must be further worsen since first inquiry but the record of the case reveals that serious negligence, gross violations of financial discipline and sever breach of contact have made,” the report said.

Environment Director General Dr Suleman could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts.

However, Director Environment Ghezwan Shamshad, who cleared the payment for the contractor before the completion of the two year maintenance period as noted in the CDA inquiry, contested the report’s findings.

He said he recommended the clearance of bills in light of the first inquiry report. “In the first inquiry report, it was suggested that after the completion of work, the payment should be cleared. When the work was completed, we released the payment,” he said.

When asked about the de novo inquiry’s allegations that only 29pc of trees were planted, and barbed wire and 45pc of the poles were not fixed, he said: “After visits, our teams found the work was properly completed.

He pointed out that the de novo inquiry was carried out after a considerable period of time. “This is a targeted de novo, which was conducted on the basis of mala fide intention,” he said. When asked about the letter from the presidency regarding him, he said the letter was biased and targeted.

Asad Mehboob Kayani, the chief metropolitan officer of the MCI – to which the environment wing was devolved after the local government elections – said he had “no idea about the case in question” and he would check on Friday. “In case any officers are guilty, then strong disciplinary action will be taken against him,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2017