LAYYAH, Jan 11: A BS-19 education official and a junior clerk have been found guilty of embezzling Rs42,400 from the money reserved to award scholarships to brilliant students of this district.

After a departmental probe ordered by the education executive district officer (EDO), the inquiry officer, secondary education district officer (DO) Tahira Chishty, has recommended further investigations against former elementary education DO Munawar Hussain, now a senior secondary school headmaster, and junior clerk Abdul Ghafoor. The EDO has forwarded the report to the secretary education (schools) for further action.

The district government had allocated Rs300,000 for students under the internal merit scholarships scheme and talented students were given cheques individually in ceremonies arranged by the district nazim.

The EDO ordered a probe through letter No. 4728 dated August 4, 2008 after receiving a complaint that four cheques amounting to Rs34,000 were issued to some students but could not be delivered to them and the amounts were subsequently withdrawn by the DO in connivance with the junior clerk from National Bank’s Main Branch Account No. 3758.

During the probe, it was found that Cheque No 782635 worth Rs10,400 issued on July 20, 2007 in the name of Muhammad Kashif, No 782636 of even date and amount in the name of Muhammad Amir Tehsin, No 782688 of even date and amount in the name of Tassawar Hussain and even-dated Cheque No 783658 worth Rs2,800 issued in the name of Muhammad Shafique were never withdrawn by the students and the DO had himself withdrawn the corresponding amounts through other cheques instead.

Similarly, Cheque No 7822603 worth Rs3,200 issued on Feb 17, 2007 in the name of Muhammad Ashraf, even-dated Cheque No. 782601 worth Rs2,000 in the name of Hassan Ali and even-dated Cheque No 782612 worth Rs3,200 issued in the name of Javed Iqbal also remained undelivered and the money was withdrawn by these two officials through other cheques.

Through her report forwarded to the education EDO under Memorandum No. 5442 dated December 2, 2008, she recommended a departmental action against Munawar, now posted as senior headmaster at Government High School, Karor, and Ghafoor after further investigations.

Talking to Dawn, Education EDO Qazi Qadir Baksh confirmed that he had forwarded the inquiry report to the secretary education (schools) for further action.

Social worker Shehraz Ahmad Shah has expressed deep concern over the embezzlement.