HYDERABAD: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on the basis of its inquiry against Sindh University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Fateh Mohammad Burfat, his associates, administration officers, and others recommended registration of an FIR against the suspects over their alleged involvement in the embezzlement of over Rs738 million.

The inquiry was conducted under the order of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and finalised a couple of days back. The report has been submitted to the Sindh ACE chairman. The inquiry has established that an embezzlement of Rs738.593m has taken place during the year 2017-18 alone.

The CM had ordered the inquiry after some SU teachers and civil society activists apprised him of the university’s affairs and called for a probe into the alleged corruption.

ACE deputy director Zamir Abbasi, speaking to Dawn on Saturday evening confirmed having completed the inquiry and submitted his report to the ACE chairman.

According to the report, the embezzled amount stands at Rs738.593m. It is bifurcated into 14 different heads like loss of funds through hiring of private buses (Rs45m), misuse of funds for purchasing a car (Rs6m), 10 foreign visits (Rs5m), salary expenditure on illegal appointments (32m), illegal expenditure in awarding a contract (Rs11m), illegal payment to Sardar Shah from faculty development funds, etc.

The suspects, according to the report, are 68 in number and include VC Dr Burfat, convener of the tender committee Dr Sarfaraz Solangi, Prof Ameer Abro, Faheem Mughal, SU registrar Prof Dr Mohammad Saleem Chandio and ex-secretary to the VC Mohammad Hafeez Abro.

The report claimed that funds were embezzled through fake billings on account of maintenance and repair works, over-invoicing of CNG and fuel supply to pocket amounts through a hand-picked manager and other staff; and manipulation in land-related matters (Rs700m).

The report noted that through creation of illegal committees instead of actual mechanism laid down under university code, as many as 147 appointments were made on daily wage, 67 on contract and 30 on visit basis. It pointed out that appointments were supposed to be made by the selection committee as per the rules followed by syndicate endorsement but since Jan 2017, appointments in all categories were made, budget utilised and important decisions taken through the committees that comprised hand-picked officers.

The report said that unconcerned people, frontmen and a student of the VC became members of every committee. The student, it added, used to talk to vendors and contractors individually thus rendering the committees rubber-stamp bodies.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2018