RAWALPINDI: On the complaint of the Federal Investigation Agency, Mandra police have booked nine people, including the former station house officer of the Mandra police station and his subordinate staff, for their alleged involvement in the embezzlement of huge sums of foreign currency – which was stolen from the FIA office – damaging the police record, and abusing their authority.

As of now, none of the suspects have been arrested.

However, the city police officer suspended SHO Yasir Awan and the then-investigation officer on Friday amid allegations that the SHO and his subordinates had embezzled the money.

The FIR registered at the Mandra police station on the complaint of Asfandyar, FIA’s Anti-Corruption Police Station SHO, nominated nine police officials: the former SHO and his eight subordinates, and a private person.

In the FIR, SHO Asfandyar stated that he was investigating a case registered on June 1, 2024, regarding the theft from FIA Commercial Banking Circle (CBC) Islamabad Malkhana (evidence room).

He said the theft of local and foreign currency was carried out on May 31, 2024, from the FIA Zonal office located in G-13/3, Islamabad. During the investigation, it emerged that the principal accused, Saad Anwar, and Muhammad Hamza robbed an amount of Rs150 million, which was verified by the audit carried out by the FIA.

According to the FIR, the CCTV footage showed the Mandra police officials – ASI Imran Muzaffar; Head Constable Shahid Mehmood; constables Khizar Hayat, Mustafa Shah Asad Mehmood, Usman Javaid, and Mukhtar Hussain along with private individuals – deployed at snap checking at Mandra Toll Plaza Rawalpindi intercepted a black car ABE-951 after 11pm on May 31, which was being used to transfer currency and other material stolen from the FIA zonal office.

He further said SHO Inspector Yasir Awan and his driver Constable Muhammad Naeem Shehzad arrived at the spot in a private car (ICT-QU-307) and took into custody the suspects and the vehicle. During questioning, the passengers in the car identified themselves as Saad Anwar, a dismissed official of the FIA, while another man travelling with him in the front seat gave his name Muhammad Hamza.

Later, the detained suspects were handed over to the Islamabad police for further investigation.

According to the FIR, the footage received from the Mandra Toll Plaza showed that the intercepted black car moved towards the Mandra police station along with the suspects, SHO Yasir Awan, Constable Asad Mehmood, and a private person.

In the footage, they could be seen meddling with the vehicle, the FIR added.

He said that the Mandra police reported an amount of approx. Rs47.9 million in the seizure memo on June 1, 2024, and embezzled the rest of the currency. “The dishonest conduct of the police party is evident from the fact that Roznamcha (police diary) of police station Mandra page of serial 82 was found torn/damaged,” it stated.

In view of these facts, legal action should be initiated against the “delinquent” police officials along with unidentified private individuals under relevant sections of the law as they have been found involved in embezzlement of case property and destruction of evidence with mala fide intentions and ulterior motive for pecuniary gain.

He said in the FIR that the embezzled amount of national exchequer may also be recovered.

A day earlier, the CPO suspended the station house officer (SHO) and the investigating officer and taken into custody after the FIA complained about misappropriating the money recovered from its former official.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2024