GUJRAT: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) booked two senior administrative officers of University of Gujrat (UoG) for allegedly committing irregularities as well as financial embezzlement in the affairs of the varsity’s official printing press.

The case has been lodged against Press Media and Publications Director Sheikh Abdul Rasheed, who is also a spokesman of the varsity, and printing press Deputy Manager Irfan Javed under sections 420, 468, 471 and 406 of PPC and 5-2/47 of PCA on the report of a citizen, Mian Intizar Rafique.

The complainant had submitted an application for registration of a case on Sept 17, 2019 according to which Rasheed and Javed embezzled at least Rs200,000 per month from July to December 2018 in the name of ghost daily-wage employees, purchased material without following the rules, printed books and other material for private people from the varsity’s press, while Javed also illegally kept the keys of the press with him for around a month while being absent from duty.

The UoG administration launched an initial probe and later sent the matter to the ACE Punjab director general (DG) for legal action. The DG referred the matter to ACE Gujrat Deputy Director (Investigation) Afzal Hayat Tarrar who conducted an inquiry into it.

Mr Tarrar told Dawn that in the inquiry he had found both the suspects guilty after which a case was lodged against them and now a formal investigation would be conducted.

Meanwhile, both suspects were granted pre-arrest bail from Gujranwala anti-corruption court till June 30.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2020