GUJRAT: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested at least 20 senior staffers of Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco) for being involved in an alleged embezzlement of at least Rs100 million from the national exchequer.

The arrested staffers include nine officers of grade 17 as well as of grade 11 and 16 who had been working in revenue and accounts branches.

The Gujranwala circle FIA police station have also registered a case against some 26 officials after which the agency had summoned these suspects in the FIA office in connection with the investigation but arrested all of them.

Soon after the arrest of their senior colleagues, the Gepco officials in Gujranwala resorted to protest and suspended the official work.

It is learnt that the Gepco officials also suspended the power supply to the Gujranwala regional FIA office in protest against the arrest of their colleagues.

Scores of Gepco officials also reached the FIA office after receiving the information about the arrest of the officers and lodged a strong protest against the action.

Sources said the senior administrative officers in Gepco headquarter were worried after they found that the funds were not transferred to the Gepco accounts but they had kept the matter under secret. Those who are booked by the FIA are the revenue officers (ROs) Hafiz Abdul Khaliq, RO City 1 Muhammad Wasim, RO 3 Rana Muhammad Riaz, ARO Bilawal Abbas, RO Qaiser Mehmood Chatta, DEOs Muhammad Asghar, Taj Anjum, Naveed Akbar, Faisal Iqbal, Waqas Ahmed, Muhammad Zubair, Muhammad Naeem Yusuf, Ghulam Murtaza, Muhammad Imran Maqsood, Taib Iqbal, Saeed Asad Raza, Muhammad Saeed, Muhammad Usman Saeed, Additional Assistant Manager Hafiz lmran, Supervisor Sarfraz Butt and others.

Sources said the Gepco hierarchy after conducting an initial probe, referred the matter to Gujranwala FIA for further legal action in this regard.

Meanwhile, the Gujranwala FIA cricle produced the arrested Gepco staffers in a local court and got their physical remand for two days.

It is learnt that the Gepco staffers also surrendered their official mobile SIMS to the senior administration to stop the routine work.

The Gepco officers association and hydro Labour union have joined hands to lodge protest against the action by FIA.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2024