LARKANA, July 26: The personnel of Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) of Larkana raided the offices of engineers of Saifullah Magsi Canal and Khairthar Canal after receiving reports about massive embezzlement of the funds meant for de-silting, maintenance and repair of watercourses feb by Saifullah Canal and the dyke.

Ghulam Murtaza Sangro, an ACE inspector, conducted the raid in the presence of magistrate Rasool Bakhsh Solangi, civil judge of Qambar. “We raided the offices on the directives of deputy director of ACE Larkana Abdul Rehman Bullo, on a tip-off,” he said.

He said the Sindh government had released an amount of Rs50 million to undertake de-silting of irrigation channels fed by Saifullah Magsi Canal, rehabilitation and strengthening of dyke running from ‘Chukhi to Faridabad’. This dyke was severely damaged during the onslaught of torrential rains and flood in June 2007.

The de-silting of tributaries had not been carried out for years while the quality of work on the dyke was inferior that hardly withstand any future torrential rain pressure, he said.

The engineers were not present while the clerical staff escaped during the raid, he said. The offices were sealed for further inquiry, the inspector said and alleged that the engineer who held the dual charge of both canals had siphoned off the money.