NAWABSHAH, Aug 30: The National Accountability Bureau has initiated an inquiry into alleged corruption in the Nawabshah branch of a bank. Documents reveal that the branch manager and other staff, in connivance with the education department, had sanctioned 15 advance salaries in the name of some employees of the education department.

The offence is punishable under the NAB Ordinance 199.

At least 20 people, who were shown as the employees of the Nawabshah education department, including teachers, peons and clerks, were paid advance salary for 15 months.

The Sindh NAB initiated the inquiry after some people complained about the matter.

Advance salaries were issued in the name of Abdul Rasheed, Shahida Parveen, Mohammed Rafiq, Rana Mehfooz, Khushi, Mohammed Haroon, Mohammed Islam, Hussain, Fida Hussain, Karam Ali, Ghulam Hussain, Mohammed Ishaque, Rao Zafarullah, Samiuddin, Mohammed Shafique, Hakim Ali, Abdul Latif Soomro and others of ADOE office (male) and SDO Office (female) Nawabshah.

The National Accountability Bureau summoned the officials concerned of the education department for verification of employees and signatures and stamps of the relevant officials.

The NAB had warned education officials that providing incorrect information or concealing fact related to documents were punishable under the NAB Ordinance 1999 and maximum punishment for such offence was up to five years of rigorous imprisonment.

Sources in the education department told this reporter that the NAB had sent a list of nine persons for verification and the officer concerned had confirmed that only three persons in the list were employees of the department.

Another official had verified only one name i.e., Khushi Mohammed, out of the nine.

Reliable sources said that the loans had been advanced by officials of the bank with the connivance of some teachers who used forged stamps and signatures of the DDOs concerned for commission as they were working as agents.

A reliable source told Dawn that many employees of the Nawabshah education department had been issued three-four advance salaries from different branches of the bank in the district and presently most of the branches were in default.