FAISALABAD, Oct 14: A three-member team probing the charges of corruption against City Tehsil Nazim Mumtaz Ali Cheema and two senior officials of the Tehsil Municipal Administration (City) on Thursday took into custody some official files , computer disks and audit reports of the TMA, and recorded statements of employees.

Informed sources told this correspondent on Thursday that the team comprising Dr Bilal Yousaf, Sarfraz Piracha and Amjad Ali, officials of the Local Government and Rural Development Department, visited the TMA Complex and checked the documents pertaining to the audit reports, award of contracts, allocation of funds, and orders passed by the TMA higher-ups.

Sources said a majority of the employees of the TMA were not present at the time of visit of the team due to threats and instructions from their superiors. The inquiry team also expressed its concern over indifferent behaviour of the officials concerned.

The team took into custody a number of official files, record related to audit and inspections conducted during the last two years as well as computer disks of the finance and regulation sections of the TMA.

The LG&RD department started the inquiry proceedings through its inspection section on the orders of the National Accountability Bureau, which claimed to have found some vital evidence and proofs about misappropriation of funds in the TMA.

The NAB authorities had asked the director-general (inspection) to conduct an inquiry into the affairs of the TMA (city) and present the complete case so that legal action could be taken in this regard.

City Tehsil Nazim Mumtaz Ali Cheema, Tehsil Municipal Officer Rai Muhammad Amin and Tehsil Officer (Finance) Mujeebuz Zaman Shamsi were called by the inquiry committee, but they failed to appear, said the sources.

It is pertinent to mention here that in June 2003, the then audit officer, Mujeebuz Zaman Shamsi, had found in his audit report for the period between July 1, 2002 and Dec 31, 2002, serious irregularities in accounts, preparation of budget, advances to employees, and utilization of funds in different accounts.

He also found financial anarchy in almost all branches of the administration. After this report, the city tehsil Nazim took serious notice and got the said officer transferred.