ISLAMABAD Feb 15: The ad hoc Public Accounts Committee, has detected over Rs80 million irregularity committed by the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police department during the last five years, PAC sources say.

The PAC at its meeting here on Friday said that the ICT police during 1994 to 99, allegedly committed irregularity worth Rs88.734 million of which only Rs5.616 million were reported to have been recovered after the audit observations.

The meeting, which was presided over by PAC chairman H.U. Beg, was informed that Rs4.8 million were drawn on account of pay and allowances of staff and kept in cash chest of the SP, headquarters, during 1995-98 without disbursing the amount to the staffers who were either on leave or were absent and nor it was deposited into the government treasury.

“Nevertheless, Rs3.82 million were recovered from different police officers and deposited into the government treasury”, the report observed.

In another case, a loss of Rs2.023 million was caused by accepting higher rates of cloth, purchased for uniforms, while the lowest rates of Allah Tawakal Textile Mills were not accepted on the plea that quality of cloth of higher bidder was superior.

The department said the lowest bidder’s sample was found against master pattern and the sample was not set for testing due to high rates for the same.

The committee, however expressed its dismay over the reasons provided by the department.

The PAC was interrupted midway and had to put remaining audit paras to a subcommittee after the forced intervention by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain in the committee room.

The PAC chairman ordered that the remaining paras will be deliberated upon and decided by a two-member subcommittee.

Meanwhile, the committee was informed that a large number of irregularities were found in disbursement of salaries, system of repairs, handling of special occasion purchases, and managing of unauthorized accounts were the main areas where police was involved in gross irregularities.

PAC refused to admit that a police vehicle got burnt while standing and asked for another inquiry into the matter and report to the committee.

The department, defending the case, told the committee that vehicle’s engine caught fire and it was burnt to cause a total loss of Rs0.198 million to the national exchequer.