SUKKUR, Dec 20: An investigation team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Sindh, arrived in Jacobabad on Thursday, took a former district officer of the district education office into custody and sealed a newly-constructed bungalow apparently as a follow-up to the recently surfaced recruitment scandal in upper Sindh.

The NAB also asked an anti-corruption police team from Karachi to stop carrying out the probe on its own.

The NAB team led by Assistant Director Abdul Fatah interrogated a number of education department officials and other employees and held a meeting with Jacobabad Deputy Commissioner Rafique Ahmed Burirro to collect more information regarding what was being described as ‘fake appointment letters’ issued to candidates of various posts supposedly lying vacant.

Some reports earlier appearing in the press suggested that the appointments were made on the directive of Sindh Minister for Education and Literacy Pir Mazharul Haq but were later cancelled on the orders of Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah.

Sources said on Thursday that the NAB investigation team obtained a copy of the letter written by former executive district officer (finance), Jacobabad, Syed Imdad Ali Shah in 2010 regarding 1,632 appointments in the education department which were eventually declared ‘fake’. The team also took into custody certain other documents containing detail information about the recruitment process.

Former Jacobabad DO Muhammad Shan Brohi was taken into custody after some progress was made into the NAB investigation into alleged corruption by some top district officials, including the incumbent District Officer (Education) Azizullah Odho. Mr Odho did not appear before the team as he is out of the city at the moment.

The NAB team held meetings with assistant district education officers in Jacobabad Hafiz Abdul Shakoor Banglani (male section) and Apa Nasreen (female section) and their counterpart in Nazeer Ahmed Umrani in Garhi Khero and Mohammad Umar Sarki in Thull. The relevant records kept at the Jacobabad Circuit House were taken into custody for further investigation.

Some of the officials interrogated by the NAB team stated that certain files sought by the investigators had already been sent to the Sindh High Court in connection with some cases.

The NAB team was informed by some officials during the investigation process that no vacancies existed in the education department against which several hundred offer letters had been issued but the DO concerned to fill the posts pending approval.

The team claimed that some candidates who got the offer letters also recorded their statements alleging that education officials collected bribes from them through their agents against the appointment letters.

According to the sources, NAB stopped an anti-corruption police team, visiting upper Sindh to investigate the same scam, from handling the case arguing that it was a case of ‘corruption on a large scale’ and fell under the ambit of the NAB.

Meanwhile, accompanied by Jacobabad Mukhtiarkar Ghulam Abbas Sadhayo and police personnel from the Civil Lines police station, the NAB team visited the bungalow allegedly being constructed by former DO Muhammad Shan Brohi. Situated next to the Govt Girl High School, the bungalow was sealed off.

Although the NAB team spent a busy day involving hectic activity concerning the investigation process, neither its chief nor any member appeared ready to speak to the media or divulge any information vis-a-viz the probe to the press.

Jacobabad DC Mr Burirro had reportedly sought a 25-day leave from Dec 20 but his request was turned down as his help was needed in the handling of the investigations by several departments.