Rawalpindi:
A fact committee composed of the Punjab Chief Secretary to investigate a larger economic scandal involving the sub-impact of RS1.94 billion in public funds and alleged negligence and carelessness of authorities having financial signing powers at Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has officially launched its investigation.
During the first meeting held in Lahore, the Committee raised several concerns regarding RDA’s defective financial management system, where he demanded complete registrations of RDA’s bank accounts and transfer of funds through call deposits (CDRs) to other banks.
The next meeting is expected to be held on June 19, when all directors for administration and financing from the last nine years have been convened. The decision to call past director generals will be made later.
The case is already under investigation of two separate forums: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), Rawalpindi region. At the same time, the Facts-Finding Committee, set up by the Punjab Chief Secretary of the Office of Mudassar Waheed Malik, Member Taxes, Revenue Board Punjab, which is also the collection of the study. Other members present included Moazzam Iqbal Supra, MD for Punjab Government Servants Housing Foundation, and Madiha Tahir Shah, additional secretary A&H.
From RDA, Director -General Kinza Murtaza, Deputy Director ITIKHAR Janjua, and Assistant Director Waqar Asghar Raja showed up for the committee.
Ex-DD ‘Dead Sparks Concern
The committee also reviewed the recent mysterious death – possibly a suicide or murder – by Junaid Taj Bhatti, former Deputy Director Finance of RDA and former DG for Pha Sialkot. Bhatti died under suspicious circumstances at his Sialkot office on May 13. His death has added the scandal’s further complexity.
The fact-finding meeting lasted for about an hour. The questions raised and the requested items will be thoroughly examined in the upcoming session scheduled for Thursday, June 19 in Lahore.
Systemic supervision, audit error
This is considered the greatest economic scandal in RDA’s history that spans almost a decade. Despite the fact that RDA accounts were revised regularly every year, the massive sub -attack went unnoticed.
Shocking, none of the authorized financial officers, including directorerals and directors of administration and financing, have ever requested or reviewed the bank statements to track fund transfers – an act that could have postponed the issue much earlier and led to the creation of a more secure financial system.
During this period, the divisional commissioners in Rawalpindi also served as functioning DGs for RDA, including the current secretary housing Punjab. Several officers from the DMG Group and some are now retired or serve in other senior positions-had also the RDA DG post during this period.
Contractors’ payments suspended
Contractors and their families were facing difficulties in Eidul Azha holidays as no payments were made in the last month or so.
Routine operations on RDA have been seriously disturbed following the exposure of a financial scandal in government funds about a month ago. Since the scandal appeared, all payments to contractors have been suspended.
When he was contacted through the RDA spokesman, Director -General Kinza Murtaza said that payments would soon be made to the contractors. However, no explanation was given as to why payments had been delayed so far or why the contractors had been left in need.
