PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission (KPEC) has so far filed 21 references in the Ehtesab Court against former ministers, bureaucrats and other officials on charges of corruption and misuse of authority.
Unlike the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ordinance, the Ehtesab Law does not offer any plea bargain or voluntary return to the accused arrested or charged in corruption and misuse of authority cases.
The KPEC Director Investigations, Sardar Ali Khan, in a statement said that 21 corruption references of Rs3.19 billion involving 74 individuals had been registered in the past 16 months. He said these cases were under trial in the Ehtesab Courts.
However, he claimed that Rs581.10 million had been saved through timely intervention by the KPEC in different departments and projects of the province.
He said these include Rs300 million saved in the project of Mardan Medical Plaza, Rs42.6 million in the Darmalak Dam project in Kohat, Rs100 million in the Peshawar Textbook Board, Rs66.3 million in department of Mines and Minerals and Rs42.7 million in Malakand C&W department.
As per the official data received from the Ehtesab Commission, 21 references were filed in the court for trial. The KPEC had filed four references against the former PTI minister and Member Provincial Assembly Ziaullah Afridi, former DG Mines Mineral Liaqat Ali and others for their alleged involvement in illegal mining and misuse of authority.
Those against whom references were filed include Ziaullah Afridi who was a minister in the ruling PTI government when he was arrested, former PPP provincial minister Liaqat Ali Shabab, deputy director EPI Dr Janbaz Afridi and clerk Zahid Ali, and Chairman Sarhad Development Authority (SDA) Sajid Khan Jadoon, CCO Kohat Noor Daraz Khattak, former vice-chancellor Ajmal Khan, chairman of the Physics Department Dr Naeem Khalid and deputy treasurer Azam Khan.
Also, the statement said references were filed against former secretary Local
Council Board Ataul Haq, deputy secretary Local Government Ayub Jan and government contractor Saeedullah for illegal grant of contract of the General Bus Stand in Peshawar for the year 2012-13.
Also, it added that references were submitted against former secretary Local Council Board Attaul Haq, former secretary Local Government Aurangzeb and private contractor Saeedullah, former member of E&P Islamuddin, former deputy secretary Abdur Rahim Fayaz, and former Textbook Examiner Alamzeb Khan Kakar.
The KPEC official’s statement said a reference of Rs21 million was filed on September 30, 2015 for fake rent assessment report and purchase receipt and embezzlement in security fund of the Working Women Hostel in Peshawar. Also, references were filed in the Ehtesab Court against CCO Asad Gul working at the Tehsil Municipal Administration in Nowshera, Attaullah Jan and others serving at the Kohat Development Authority and Umar Hayat, DAO Shangla in various cases.
