SAHIWAL: The regional office of the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) uncovered a mega financial scam amounting to Rs225.4 million in the district education departments of Sahiwal and Okara, registering a case against a former chief executive officer (CEO), Education,and his accomplices.

As per the ACE sources the suspect, Dr Muhammad Arshad was allegedly involved in massive corruption during his tenure as Sahiwal education CEOin 2022-23.

The sources say that Okara ACE deputy director has secured the bank record pertaining to transactions of millions of rupees through Jazz Cash and other channels into the accounts of Dr Arshad’s cronies and his family members.

According to sources, ACE, Okara, has registered a case No 17/2024 under sections 471, 420, 468, and 409 of the Pakistan Penal Code against Dr Arshad and his accomplices following the completion of an inquiry (No. ACE-SLR (Eng 280) 2023/3197 dated August 13, 2024.

The action has been taken against the suspect on a complaint lodged by a citizen, Muhammad Akram, a resident of Gulistan Road, Sahiwal.

A total of 23 different corruption allegations with proofs have been filed against Dr Arshad in the FIR, which says that earlier the Sahiwal deputy commissioner had conducted a probe into the scam and submitted a 151-page report to the Punjab school education secretary.

The DC had recommended initiation of departmental and disciplinary proceedings against the suspect under Peeda-2006 (Reference No. 993 ADC(G), SWL, dated May 18, 2023), but no action was taken against Dr Arshad.

The sources say that the suspect recruited educators having domiciles of other districts allegedly after receiving Rs1 million to 1.2 million bribe from each candidate.

The complainant alleged that Dr Arshad and his accomplices indulged in various corrupt practices, including the minting money through bogus bills, accepting millions of rupees in bribes for recruitment against posts of teachers and Class IV staff, initiating inquiries on bogus charges to extort money from schools’ administrative and teaching staff, and demanding bribes for transfers in violation of the e-transfer system.

He alleged that Dr Arshad also got kickbacks for awarded contracts to a contractor, Rao Intizar, who had established four bogus firms for the purpose.

The FIR details several instances of financial misconduct of the suspect, including the withdrawal of amounts of Rs2.503 million, Rs3.5m, Rs0.2m, and Rs2.1m through fraudulent bills for petrol, travel and daily allowance, postage, and cash awards for school children, respectively.

Dr Arshad has also been accused of embezzling Rs35m allocated for 80 school councils, Rs40m earmarked for water-pump schemes, and Rs30m designated for installing swings in 16 public sector schools.

The FIR also highlights the testimony of Muhammad Faraz Arshad, a junior clerk and cashier at the Sahiwal CEO (education) office, who provided evidence against Dr Arshad’s extensive corruption.

The cashier revealed that illegal transactions amounting to Rs13.4m were made to the suspect’s family members over eight months.

Dr Arshad is also accused of selling the free textbooks and practical notebooks, provided by the government, in the open market through Okara District Education Officer (DEO) Tariq Anjum. He allegedly sold two truckloads of rough answer sheets meant for Class V exams, stored at Junior Model School, Okara.

ACE Okara Circle Officer Ghulam Mustafa says that proceedings against Dr Arshad are ongoing.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2024