MUZAFFARGARH: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on Monday registered cases against the deputy director colleges and two staffers of his office, after one of them, a head clerk, was allegedly caught red-handed while receiving Rs0.6 million as bribe.

The ACE conducted the raid on the deputy director colleges’ office following public complaints regarding bribery and nepotism in the recruitment of grade IV employees in different colleges in the district.

Complainants had also alleged that merit lists were not displayed by the recruiting authority and the jobs were either given to relatives of some college principals or those who greased the palms of officials in the education department.

According to the first information report (FIR), the ACE had learnt through reliable sources that recruitment of grade IV employees in different colleges of Muzaffargarh was not done on merit.

It said the ACE team during raid caught the office’s head clerk Ghaffar red-handed while he was receiving bribe and recovered Rs0.6m from him on the spot.

ACE said the head clerk was allegedly received bribe on the behalf of the deputy director.

Later, a case was registered against the head clerk, a stenographer and the deputy director colleges under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PAC), 1947.

ACE also summoned the record of recruitment, initiating an inquiry into the matter.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2023