ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad court on Friday ordered the recovery of funds from officials of the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) implicated in a case involving the illegal purchase of a vehicle.

During the hearing, Judicial Magistrate Mali Muhammad Iran cleared the state news agency of liability in the illegal procurement of a DSNG vehicle and ordered the recovery of the misused funds from the salaries of the officials involved.

Hussain Hider Hakeem, the lawyer for APP Managing Director (MD) Asim Khichi informed the court that the MD had formed an inquiry committee led by Director China News Service Year Abbes Bukhara to investigate the matter.

The committee recorded statements of all relevant individuals and found the former IT director, senior clerk and the legal section in charge responsible for the irregularities. The committee recommended disciplinary action against the accused.

The lawyer further argued that a private company had acquired the machinery installed in the DSNG vehicle and demanded payment from the APP.

Instead of recovering the losses from the corrupt officials, the company filed a case against the APP, seeking payment.

He further argued that the agency was unfairly blamed for the misconduct of its employees.

The news agency’s legal adviser emphasised that the agency had been saved from a significant financial loss, crediting the MD for his efforts. The court agreed with Mr Thaheem’s arguments and ordered the recovery of the misused funds from the salaries of the implicated officials. The hearing was adjourned until April 7.

The scandal involved the purchase of a non-custom paid vehicle instead of a new one from a showroom, violating established rules and causing a loss of Rs12 million to the agency.

The officials misused their authority and breached procurement regulations, leading to financial damage.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2025