HYDERABAD: The findings of an inquiry against LUH officer Abdul Sattar Jatoi contained startling facts, including a failed attempt to get Rs350m released on a fake letter and corruption to the tune of millions of rupees, the alleged errant officer appeared unfazed even after being removed from his post by the services tribunal and the top judiciary.

Mr Jatoi has lately been reappointed on the same post.

Although the inquiry report confirmed that the letter issued in October 2021 was fake and that other financial irregularities were committed, it fell short of recommending action against those involved in corruption. It remained content to recommending a “special audit of LUH’s accounts of the last three years in order to check / verify expenditures incurred on procurement of drugs and medicines”.

The then CS Dr Sohail Rajput had entrusted the formal inquiry on Aug 16, 2022 to Mohammad Issa Memon, the Chief Instructor, Training of Management & Research (TMR) Wing of the Services, General Administration & Coordination Department (SGA&CD).

After Mr Memon’s findings, then CS Dr Mohammad Fakhre Alam concluded on Dec 7, 2023 that the initial inquiry “held then MS LUH, Dr Mohammad Siddique Pahore responsible for such a lapse”. Administrative department “should have initiated proceedings against alleged officers”.

Then MS attained the age of superannuation on Nov 6, 2021. As more than a year has passed since his retirement, this office (CS’s) is barred from taking action against him”.

He said timely vigilance of the district accounts office (DAO) Hyderabad prevented potential financial irregularity and payments. The Oct 28, 2021 letter was not processed so financial irregularity and loss was averted. CS exonerated Mr Jatoi from the charges levelled against him.

Fake letter

Memon’s findings, submitted before Sindh High Court on Thursday (Sept 26), revealed that MS Pahore had written to the health secretary on Oct 23, 2021 to seek increase in the 15pc share of medicines procurement from Rs149,487,000 to Rs350,000,000. Just after five days, the Oct 28, 2021 letter was issued under signature of Abdul Sattar Parihyar, then section officer health, according permission for Rs350m additional expenditures. The DAO got the Oct 28, 2021 letter checked and found it to be fake.

Health department inquiry committee held MS Pahore and Sattar Jatoi responsible. Jatoi denied charges and insisted he didn’t “hold portfolio of accounts or medicine and as such he was not privy to either “request letter of Oct 23, 2021 or Oct 28, 2021 letter”.

Former MSs made identical statements before Issa Memon mentioning that procurement used to be done by a committee and that Mr Jatoi had no role in it.

SO (budget-I) Sattar Parhiyar whose signature were reflected on the Oct 28, 2021 fake permission letter claimed that the Oct 23, 2021 letter was manipulated by then MS to justify the Oct 28, 2021 letter. He said: “Sattar Jatoi used to visit our section regarding budget related matters and Jatoi also approached secretary health for enhancement of LP limit but said request was regretted,” Parhiyar said.

The inquiry report said: “Pahore, who wrote letter and was held responsible by inquiry committee might be privy to arrangement but he has been hiding facts. Similarly, other key members of LUH including Abdul Sattar Jatoi must be aware of arrangement behind issuance of letter but no one has come forward to tell truth”.

“During his above 30 years service, Sattar Jatoi served in LUH for about 20 years and as such he is not only well-versed with all affairs of hospital but ‘overshadows’ MSs,”, said report.

Case not proceeded despite probe

The inquiry report and CS’s order apparently contained conflicting points. The then CS exonerated officer only after considering Mr Jatoi’s reply and personal explanation. It was strange that no proceedings were initiated against the two officers held responsible. The CS expressed his office’s inability to departmentally proceed against then MS as over one-year time had passed since his retirement on Nov 6, 2021.

Likewise, Issa Memon relied on statements of former MSs, officers / officials only to conclude that Sattar Jatoi was not “directly” involved. But, he simultaneously observed “it is evident someone from hospital side with assistance of officials of health department managed issuance of fake permission letter”.

He also noted that some “key members of LUH, including Abdul Sattar Jatoi, must be aware of the arrangement behind issuance of the fake permission letter “but no one has come forward to tell the truth”.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2024