ISLAMABAD: Financial fraud allegations have hit the Pakistan Sport Board (PSB). It is being alleged that the PSB has been using delaying tactics in the audit of Rs106 million released for the National Games held in 2013.

According to PSB official documents prepared in August this year and available with Dawn, the organising committee of the National Games 2013, is yet to submit the expenditure statement.

“National Games 2013 were organised by the interim committee from June 28 to July 4, 2013 at the Pakistan Sports Complex, Islamabad. The PSB released Rs106.2 million to the chairman of the committee for holding the National Games,” the document said.

It is relevant to note that the PSB through a five-member interim committee comprised Pakistan Hockey Federation secretary Rana Mujahid, president of the basketball federation Asif Bajwa and three other members organised the 32nd edition of the National Games at the Pakistan Sports Complex.

Delay in the audit, which is usually carried out within a few weeks, has provided a chance to officials of the PSB and other sports federations to level allegations of financial corruption in the said Games. A senior PSB official claimed that high-ups of the PSB in connivance with some sports associations embezzled millions of rupees in the name of National Game2013.

When contacted, organising committee secretary Rana Mujahid refused to talk on the issue while PSB Director General Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera said that he had been trying to get expenditure statement from the interim committee to conduct financial audit of the said amount released by the PSB in connection with holding of the said Games.

Nevertheless, not everyone agrees with director general of the PSB with senior officials wishing not to be named contending that the Games could have been organised through a much less amount.

“The event could have easily been organised by spending Rs20 million but at that time the management of the PSB released Rs106 million for the Games,” claimed a senior PSB official.

The official further said that millions of rupees were spent in the name of renovation and maintenance of the PSB facilities for the said Games.

“If proper audit is carried out, real facts about spending of Rs106 million could come to fore,” said the PSB official while stating that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) should take notice of the issue.

Elaborating the break-up of the humongous amount of Rs106m, the PSB documents said Rs56 million were released on June 6 through a cheque bearing number 072582, Rs22 million were released through cheque number 074437 on June 12 and Rs2.200 million and Rs 24.00 million were also released on June 25 through cheque number 088157 and 088163, respectively.

On the other hand, the incumbent director general of the PSB was not willing to accept responsibility, saying: “At that time, late Amir Hamza Gilani was the director general of the PSB. So, I could not be blamed for any misappropriation of funds. And as for audit of the said amount, we are yet to receive expenditure statement from the organising committee.”

“I agree that the process of audit has hit snags but we have been trying to collect expenditure report. Once we receive expenditure statement, we will finally be able to order complete audit of the amount,” director of the PSB claimed and added that he would send a reminder to the organising committee on the next working day for submission of complete record of the tournament.

To take view of Inter-Provincial Coordination Federal Secretary Mohammad Ejaz Chaudhry, overseeing the PSB affairs, Dawn sought to contact him but despite repeated attempts the federal secretary could not be approached.

It is also relevant to note that the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) headed by retired Gen Arif Hassan organised the National Games in Lahore in 2012 but at that time, the PSB illegally refused to accept the Games.

And after lapse of a few months the PSB went on to hold the National Games through the said interim committee. However, the Games held by the PSB were boycotted by a numbers of federations affiliated with General Arif-led POA.

Ironically, having spent millions of tax payers’ money on the Games in Islamabad and spending millions on litigations, the PSB a few months back finally accepted the Arif-led POA which is indeed a genuine POA recognised by International Olympic Committee (IOC).

This is what was endorsed by a president of a sport federation who wished anonymity. “The PSB officials in connivance with representatives of some selected sports federations plundered millions of rupees during the row between General Arif and retired Gen Akram Sahi,” he maintained.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2014