BAHAWALPUR, Oct 26: An embezzlement of Rs7.5 million has been detected in the motor branch of the Excise and Taxation Department, it is learnt.

Some officials appropriated the amount by pledging registration numbers to the vehicle owners without registering the deals in the official record.

E&T Director Khalid Siddique, who assumed charge of the post a few days ago, got an inquiry conducted and found several officials guilty.

Mr Siddique told Dawn that financial irregularities had been detected a few days ago during a surprise inspection of the excise district office. He said senior clerk motor branch Fazeel Ahmad Bhatti, along with other officials, had kept 1,800 files pending since April 2011 and got money from the applicants.

They neither deposited the amount in the bank nor did they mention it in official record. He said more than Rs3.2 million had been recovered from Fazeel and did not rule out the possibility of involvement of more officials.

He said the case would be handed over to the Anti-Corruption Establishment.

ETO Rana Intikhab is on Hajj leave and in his absence the DG has taken serious notice of the fraud and sought a report from the director.