VEHARI, May 29: Two food department officials, rendering their services at a wheat procurement centre, have allegedly escaped with Rs6 million they had drawn from a bank by submitting fake bill.

Information gleaned by this correspondent on Saturday revealed that a food inspector and an assistant food controller sought the help of a broker of Mailsi in preparing fake documents for purchasing 60,000 wheat bags.

They also prepared a fake bill of Rs6 million, which bore the original stamps and signatures of the district food controller and other officials, and collected the amount from an NBP branch.

Both the officials did not turn up at the centre and when the DFC checked the stock register he found thousands of bags missing.

When contacted, the manager of the bank branch confirmed that two officials and a broker had drawn the amount.

Both the officials were suspended from service and a case was instituted against them by the Anti-Corruption Establishment.

A source in the department alleged that some of the senior officials, who enjoyed the support of the ruling party, were also involved in the fraud.