PESHAWAR, May 31: The sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee on the home department on Tuesday started an inquiry into alleged misappropriation in purchase of uniform and other items in police. The sub-committee’s chairman MPA Anwar Kamal Marwat told Dawn that the misappropriation of Rs18.8 million had been detected in 1997 during an audit of the department after the purchase of uniform and other related items for police.

He said the inquiry had been delayed because of the burden of work on the public accounts committee.

He said the inquiry committee had asked the authorities concerned to submit detailed comments in its next meeting scheduled for June 9, so that those involved in the matter could be punished.

He said the Central Police Office had purchased cloth for uniform and related items but “no receipts are available and police in some districts have confirmed that they did not receive the items”.

The sub-committee had asked the department concerned to provide data of districts which had not received the uniform and other items, he said.

IT had been confirmed that police in Dera Ismail Khan, Nowshera, Kohistan, Dir and Mardan districts had not received the uniform, he said.

The police department had suspended five low-rank officials but the inquiry would look into the involvement of higher officials in the case and ascertain if there was negligence on their part, he said.

The committee has asked the department to provide it details about the formation of the purchase committee, how many times the uniform was purchased and the method of internal audit of the stores and sending items to the districts.

It will submit its report within 45 days, after which the provincial police chief will take disciplinary action in its light.

A handout issued on Tuesday said that the meeting of the sub-committee was held at the NWFP Assembly secretariat.