LAHORE: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on Thursday arrested a retired police official on charges of corruption and making illegal assets worth Rs1 billion.

In an ACE inquiry, it was revealed that former sub-inspector Rafique Ahmad, during his posting in the Rahim Yar Khan katcha area, grabbed a property worth crores of rupees by illegal cultivation and corruption.

An FIR has been registered against him on charges of corruption and misuse of power.

In the inquiry, it was also revealed that the accused illegally cultivated 1,444 kanals by using his position as SHO and in 2018 he got the waqaf land of 1,384 kanals of Hazrat Khwaja Ghulam Fareed area and cultivated it illegally by using his power and position as an inspector.

The inquiry also found that the accused had acquired unclaimed properties in the name of his son, including a valuable one-kanal plot in Mohalla Islamnagar, Rahim Yar Khan, and four-kanal land worth of millions at Katchi Zaman.

Apart from this, the accused also created benami properties from the income obtained from illegal sources. Likewise he had purchased four valuable vehicles.

In the initial inquiry, it was also revealed that the accused obtained financial benefits of more than Rs1bn by corruption.

ACE Director General Sohail Zafar Chattha has issued instructions to anti-corruption officers to take action against corrupt elements without any discrimination.

He also reviewed the performance of officers across Punjab.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2024