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Monday, May 10, 2010
AGP identifies fraud of millions of rupees in MoI* Audit report 2009-10 reveals Rs 515.51m received as arms licence fees not reconciled with treasury
* Rs 113m deducted from salaries of FC personnel and deposited in unknown accountsBy Tahir Niaz
ISLAMABAD: The auditor general of Pakistan (AGP) has identified embezzlements and ‘fictitious payments’ amounting to millions of rupees in the financial records of the departments attached with the Interior Ministry, Daily Times has learnt.
The audit report on the accounts of the federal government (civil) for audit year 2009-10 reveals that embezzlement, investing public money in commercial banks and fictitious payments continued to be made in all departments attached with the Interior Ministry even after the AGP ordered ‘strict handling’ of public money and strict measures to stop the practice of investing public money in commercial banks.
Arms licences: The report revealed that the Interior Division management issued 88,838 new arms licences from March 28, 2008 to June 30, 2009 and the fee for these arms licences was estimated at roughly Rs 515.51 million. The money was to be deposited with the national exchequer. However, the receipts were not submitted with the treasury and the reconciliation of government receipts of Rs 515.51 million was not intimated.
The audit further points out that Islamabad Capital Territory police used receipts worth Rs 41.81 million from the Digital Driving Licence fee, the Driving Test Fund, the Urgent Licence Fee and others to meet excessive departmental expenses without the Finance Division’s approval. Rather, the expenditure was approved by the respective heads of department who had no power to make any such decision. The Federal Treasury Rule 7 states that all money received by or tendered to government officers should be deposited with the national exchequer without any delay and this money cannot be used to meet departmental expenditures.
The report revealed that an aircraft was purchased by the Balochistan Constabulary for the Balochistan police in 2006. The PC-1 provided Rs 50 million for the purchase, however, the management paid Rs 138.5 million without the approval of the Steering Committee.
Also, the Balochistan Constabulary paid Rs 566,136 to a supplier of firewood. However, a review of the stock register showed that the firewood was never taken on record. The audit observed that the firewood was not purchased and the money was kept outside government accounts without any authorisation. The possibility of embezzlement cannot be ruled out, it added.
Irregular deductions: The audit observed that the Frontier Corps (FC) management continued to deduct Rs 130 per month from the salary of every FC personnel during fiscal years 2006-07 and 2008-09 in the name of a ‘saving scheme and providing medical facilities’ without any authorisation to do so. The total amount of Rs 59.280 million for fiscal year 2006-07 and Rs 53.942 million for fiscal year 2008-09 was kept in unknown accounts.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa FC, under the Interior Ministry, withdrew Rs 13.77 million in June 2008 in advance for the purchase of arms and ammunition from the Ordnance Branch. However, no weapons were purchased and the money was kept in a private bank account instead of depositing it with the national exchequer.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk