RAWALPINDI, July 29: A departmental inquiry has found Motor Transport Officer (MTO) of Police Lines Rawalpindi guilty of embezzling government money by submitting “bogus cash memos” for the repair of 13 police vehicles.

Former District Police Officer Syed Moravat Ali Shah had ordered the inquiry after an internal audit report cast suspicions on the MTO, Sub-Inspector Nizam Deen.

Deputy Superintendent Investigation Wing Ms Shahida Kausar who conducted the inquiry reached the guilty conclusion on the basis of statements made to her by six drivers of the city police, the MTO and the mechanic of a private automobile workshop Tariq Mehmood.

The six drivers had been performing duty with different police officers, including the SP traffic, ASP Cantt, DSP Security, Army House, Airport Police Station and District Police Officer (DPO) Rawalpindi.

In his statement mechanic Tariq Mehmood said that Nizam Deen MTO used to send police vehicles to his workshop for repairs but denied that the cash memos issued for payment to workshop were not written by him.

The inquiry officer said in her report that evidently the MTO somehow secured the workshop’s stationery and wrote the bills on his own.

“How is it possible that on the day a particular vehicle was being repaired or repainted in the workshop it was also running about on official duty?” she asked in her report. She  further said in her report that some statements recorded  by drivers  clearly  indicated that bogus and fictitious  bills  had been  prepared.  

Also amazing was the claim in the repair bills that engines of four police vehicles were overhauled by the mechanic within three days, for Rs 24,850 a piece, while mechanic Tariq’s statement was that could overhaul only one engine in a day.

According to the MTO engines of seven vehicles were overhauled. He said pickup van number RIN-6240 was in the use of SHO Gujar Khan, pickup van number RIV-9468 of Chowki Trait (Murree), jeep number RIP-4200 of ASP New Town, pickup van number RIV-9681 of Chowki New Murree, jeep number LOG-396 of the ADID, pickup van No 9088 of SHO Mandra and jeep No LOM-746 of additional SP.

Records submitted by the MTO to the inquiry officer showed that some engines were overhauled by an auto spare parts shop rather than an auto repair workshop.

Even funnier was the MTO’s statement that he got the repair bills cleared from SP Headquarters first and got the vehicles repaired later.

“Even if the MTO’s statement is taken to be true, it is illegal to keep bills in custody without the permission of senior officers,” the inquiry report said.