LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has directed the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) to hold a fresh inquiry into the alleged misappropriation of funds in the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and bring on record oral and documentary evidence.

Justice Chaudhry Mushtaq Ahmad passed this order on a petition filed by Wasa EXEN Sheikh Muhammad Akram challenging summons being issued to him by the ACE in an inquiry about misappropriation of millions of rupees against officials of Data Gunj Bakhsh Town.

Petitioner’s counsel Syeda Aqeela Batool told the court that her client had not been nominated in the complaint. However, she said, a five-member investigation team of the ACE recommended judicial action against 18 officials, including the petitioner.

Later, the counsel said, in revised inquiry the judicial action was dropped against three EXENs, including the petitioner, and the departmental inquiry was ordered against them.

She said the petitioner was found innocent in two departmental inquiries and now on the same facts he was being summoned by the ACE, which was illegal rather against the norms of justice.

The counsel asked the court to set aside the inquiry launched by the ACE and restrained the investigating officer concerned from extending harassment to the petitioner.

The judge issued a notice to the ACE for April 26 and directed the investigating officer to conduct fair and impartial inquiry and bring on record all evidence against the petitioner, if any, and proceed with the matter strictly in accordance with law.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2018