ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has booked seven officers of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in connection with a contract related to cleanliness and garbage collection.

The CDA had awarded a contract worth Rs650 million per annum a few years ago. Later on, the CDA board had cancelled the said contract and last year, director general (sanitation) had referred the case to FIA for probe regarding alleged irregularities committed in award of work.

According to a first information report (FIR) dated 30-5-2023: “It has transpired that officers and officials of CDA with mala fide intention and to gain pecuniary advantages gave undue favour to M/S Anas Brothers Enterprises private limited in award of works vis privatisation/provision of cleaning sweeping, collection and transportation of solid waste/garbage in the form of three different, separate packages i.e from Sector G-6, G-7, G-8 etc Islamabad (package- I) from sector G-9, G-10, G-11 etc Islamabad (package III) and sectors I-8 and I-10, Expressway, etc Islamabad, (package III), separately, in order to get the contract by illegal means, the contractor with mala fide intention submitted fake, bogus, duplicate documents for award of contract.”

The FIR said members of the main technical evaluation committee with mala fide intention and by ignoring the report of sub-committee I, have illegally awarded 15 extra marks on technical evaluation due to which the contractor had fraudulently qualified the technical bid evaluation.

It adds that prima facie, a case is made out against then director general (civic management) Khalil Ahmed Soomro, then director law Omar Sagheer, director sanitation Sardar Khan, audit officer Chaudhry Bashir, project director Umar, assistant director Shabbir Hussain, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Anas Brothers Waseem Shahzad, directer of the company Usman Safdar.

The FIR said that role of then Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz and chief officer Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad Shafaq Hashmi and other members of committee, if found involved, will be thrashed out during the course of investigation.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2023