ISLAMABAD: Years after the new United States Embassy was built, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has begun investigating the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for allegedly irregular approval of its building plans.

The FIA directed the authority to provide case records in an official letter dated March 22, 2019.

The letter said the probe was initiated at the direction of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

“The subject inquiry [102/2018] is under probe at FIA Anti Corruption Circle, Islamabad. Sub-committee-IV of the Public Accounts Committee report dated 24.05.2018 conveyed vide para-14 (pertaining to Para No.2.4.39 Page 62-64 AR 2016-17,” the letter stated

The letter said that in order to proceed with the matter, certified copies of the embassy building’s file, with notes and relevant reports and the no-objection certificate, should be provided to the FIA.

A senior CDA officer confirmed that the FIA has begun an inquiry and said: “We will provide complete details of the case to the agency.” He did not provide any further details, saying that the matter was “sensitive in nature” and he was not in a position to share any information.

In 2017, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, then the state minister for capital administration and development division, told Senate that the eight-storey embassy building was completed with CDA approval.

In response to a calling attention notice moved by Senator Hafiz Hamdullah, Dr Chaudhry had said the CDA approved the embassy’s building plan and no such construction was carried out without approval. He told the upper house that the CDA approved ground plus seven storeys for the US Embassy and extended similar approval to the Bangladesh High Commission as well.

Senator Hamdullah had moved the notice following an auditor general report that said construction began on the American embassy without the prime minister’s approval, and the CDA had failed to halt it. He had said he raised the issue with the prime minister’s permission.

The audit report the senator referenced cited a 2012 letter from a security agency that had argued that the roof of the building could be used to install surveillance devices to monitor government offices.

However, Dr Chaudhry had told Senate that the Foreign Office and intelligence agencies were consulted and they had told the CDA there were no signs of spying equipment being installed on the building.

He remarked: “In the modern era there is no need to install spy equipment on rooftops, since everything can be watched live using applications such as Google Maps.”

Speaking to Dawn after that session, Dr Chaudhry said the CDA had informed him in writing that they approved a US Embassy building with ground plus seven storeys in 2012.

After giving its approval, he said, the CDA later began talking about seeking permission from the prime minister.

“They gave permission as they were the competent authority and the US Embassy deposited the fee for the building plan in their account,” he said.

CDA officials Dawn spoke to said it was debatable whether the prime minister’s permission was required for approving a large compound, but said that they embassy had its building plans approved after paying the fee, in pursuance of rules and regulations.

The 2016-17 audit report had said that the CDA decided to increase the floor to area ratio by 1:2:4 in June 2012, and decided that the number of storeys in the Diplomatic Enclave would be ground plus seven.

However, before this decision was implemented the case would be forwarded to the Cabinet Division for approval from the prime minister. The report said the board had decided to hold on to the NOC for the embassy pending a final decision from the prime minister.

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2019