LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has started a probe into alleged corruption in Sheikhupura district police and sought record of the last seven years to dig out the facts about the possible involvement of police officers.

It is said to be the first case which has been taken up directly by the NAB on the complaints of alleged corruption and embezzlement in the official funds utilised from 2012 to June 30, 2019.

The NAB may also grill 11 district police officers (DPOs) who remained posted in the district during that period, an official told Dawn. He said the DPOs might be questioned in their capacity as drawing and disbursing officers and action would be taken against any of them if found involved in misappropriation of funds.

The watchdog may quiz 11 DPOs who remained posted in the district

He said the development was also being seen in the backdrop of the recently surfaced corruption scandal in Sahiwal police where the accountant was arrested for drawing hundreds of millions of rupees from the official accounts. The funds were meant for the disbursement of salary of the district police officials/officers and other staff and the accountant in connivance with others withdrew the same against other heads.

In the fresh case, he said, the Bureau had sought record from the district police office regarding total funds provided to Sheikhupura, and the expenses incurred against all heads including disbursement of salary to the entire staff.

The official said that initially the NAB started probe against former Sheikhupra DPO Sohail Zafar Chattha on the charges of massive embezzlement during his nine-month posting from June 2015 to March 2016. Later, it extended the scope of inquiry about the misuse of funds in utility services, leave encashment, repair and maintenance, petrol etc.

He said the NAB was already investigating the four senior police officers -- former DPOs Sohail Zafar Chattha (Sheikhupura and Gujrat), Rai Ijaz (Gujrat), Rai Zameer (Gujrat) and Kamran Mumtaz (Gujrat) -- and arrested two of them in the corruption of official funds. Sohail Chattha had fled Pakistan, he said, adding that the Bureau was also investigating a case of similar nature in Vehari police.

He said the Punjab police had taken up the complaints of misuse of funds in Vehari, Gujrat and Sahiwal under the accountability mechanism. The police department later recommended the cases to the NAB for further inquiry against those indicated in its preliminary reports, he said.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2019