LAHORE: An inquiry panel of senior police officers has proposed a disciplinary action against former Additional Inspector General of Traffic Police Punjab Dr Akthar Abbas following a mega scam of embezzlement in the accounts of his department.

The panel has recommended to IGP Shoaib Dastagir to forward his case to the Establishment Division to initiate proceeding against him due to his lack of supervision which led to the embezzlement of over Rs340 million during session 2018-19 when Mr Abbas was heading the traffic police department.

The direct involvement of Dr Akthar Abbas in misappropriation of funds is yet to be established as his signatures sent to the forensic lab are under analysis, an official privy to the information told Dawn.

Headed by additional IGP Azhar Hameed Khokhar, he said, the inquiry panel also referred the case to the Anti-Corruption Department (ACE), Punjab for criminal proceeding against the admin officials primarily accountant of the traffic police department after they were held guilty of the charges.

Meanwhile, the IGP ordered to extend the scope of investigation following the indications of more misappropriation of funds in the previous sessions till 2013-14 of the traffic police department. He issued directions when another alleged embezzlement of approximately Rs60 million in the accounts of traffic police Punjab was detected during the session 2017-18.

Additional IG Elite Police Farooq Mazhar was heading the traffic police department Punjab at that time, the official source said.

During inquiry it transpired that most of the corruption/embezzlement during the both sessions was reported under the head of POL and procurement of lubricants besides misuse of funds of retired police employees.

The source said the corruption was first detected by the finance wing of the Punjab police through special audit of the accounts of the traffic police department when the then traffic police headquarters SSP Ammara Athar “smelled something wrong in the disbursement of funds”. She later brought the matter to the notice of the IGP who had referred the same to the Internal Investigation Branch (IBA) of the police department for a regular inquiry in order to fix responsibility against the police officers and the admin staff.

As for the scale of the misuse of public funds, the official said the excessive procurement of more than 70,000 lights and instruments was made during the session 2017-18 just to get maximum financial benefits, causing a loss to the national exchequer.

Similarly, more than 60,000 litres of lubricants were purchased for 30 vehicles (fake entries) during the same period, he said.

The official added that Rs 20 million were withdraw during last two months of the session 2018-19 from the accounts of the traffic police under the head of the POL.

The inquiry panel head had made the statement of Dr Akhtar Abbas part of the inquiry report and also cross questioned him in order to ensure transparency.

The source said an inquiry was under way at the IAB to detect irregularities committed during the previous sessions in official funds of the traffic police Punjab.

“The ACE has registered a case in the embezzlement while nominating the accountant as prime accused while the investigations are under way to determine the role of other officers to fix their responsibility,” ACE Punjab’s Gohar Nafees confirmed to Dawn.

He said the accountant had been arrested after the allegations of embezzlement against him in the accounts of the traffic police department proved. He had confessed to his crime, he said.

About the involvement of the senior police officers in the misappropriation of funds, Mr Gohar said it would be premature to say anything in this regard.

Dr Akhtar Abbas refused to comment on the issue while Mr Farooq Mazhar said an inquiry was under way and responsibility should be fixed.”We have recovered 2.5 million from the accountant and 1.1 million from the contractors,” claimed Mr Gohar.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2020