ISLAMABAD: Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has submitted a report/comments in the Session Court of Islamabad regarding an on-going enquiry against officials of Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) for allegedly involved in the corruption and misuse of authority.
Shockingly, despite passing more than one years to the submission of a complaint of Syed Manzoor Hussain Shah Kazmi, chairman Anti-Corruption Cell, Labour Unity of Islamabad Electric Supply Company (CBA) regarding corruption and misuse of authority done by the officials of Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) in a repair of an approach road in Rajjar area of Jhelum and construction of a boundary wall of a grid station in the federal capital with DG FIA, the FIA Anti-Corruption Circle, Islamabad has so far not completed the enquiry.
Even the FIA ACC failed to collect concerned complete record from the concerned department of IESCO. And, FIA ACC Islamabad has now submitted its initial findings, progress/report of the on-going enquiry against the officials of IESCO for alleged corruption and misuse of authority.
Quoting FIA report/comments, sources said that the petitioner, Syed Manzoor Hussain who is a former employ of IESCO, had earlier field a complaint with the allegation of misuse of power, misappropriation of public funds by IESCO officers in bogus /managed tendering process for Tender No. NCB 14 dated 18th August 2022 for special repair of an approach road at Rajjar Grid Station situated at Rajjar, Jhelum.
Syed Manzoor Shah, in its application, further alleged that construction of a retaining wall (of Grid Station) at Sector I-10, Islamabad by using low quality material that resulted in cracks in building. Executive Engineer started dismantling wall without any authority and started making new wall without tendering process under emergency rule 2(g) of PPRA and thus officials of IESCO has caused huge loss to public exchequer for their personal gains.
As per FIA report/comments, the complaint of Syed Manzoor Hussain Shah dated 22-06-202 was initially merged clubbed in enquiry No. 326/2020 which was already under probe at FIA/ACC Islamabad against IESCO officials on complaint of a different complainant based on different allegations.
On 16-02-2023, Enquiry Officer of the Enquiry No. 326/2022 put s note on file with stating that “Whereas this instant complaint is related to a separate and distinct matter pertaining to misappropriation by IESCO officials in civil works carried out by IESCO in various Grid Stations. Furthermore, complaint is lodged by a different complainant i-e Syed Manzoor Hussain Shah. His earlier applications on the same matter was erroneously merged in RE 326/2020.
It is thus requested that a separate enquiry may kindly be registered for allegation levelled in this instant complaint.” Resultantly on these recommendations of the enquiry officer, a separate enquiry was registered in PS FIA/ACC ISB with the enquiry No. 41/2023 on 27-02-2023 and the same was entrusted to Rizwan Mehdi, Assistant Director/EO. Following steps have been taken during enquiry proceedings:
- Complainant was called and his statement was recorded.
- Letters were issued to concerned department i-e IESCO for provision of record.
- Partial record has been received from concerned department and they have sought time for provision of remaining record.
- Notices were issued under section 160 Cr.P.C to alleged person and their statements were recorded.
- A letter has been written to DG PAK PWD for nomination of focal person for technical assistance in the matter.
In the light of above-mentioned facts/circumstances, it is submitted that enquiry is in progress and same will be concluded on merit in due course of time after receipt of complete record and subsequent technical inspection by PWD expert, said FIA report/comments.
In view of the above-mentioned facts, it is respectfully prayed that the instant writ petition may graciously be dismissed being devoid of any merit, FIA report/comments added.
On 28the August, 2022, Syed Manzoor Shah filed a complaint with DG FIA, Islamabad against corruption, misuse of authority allegedly done by the officials of Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) in repair of an approach road in Rajjar area of Jhelum and construction of a boundary wall of a grid station in the federal capital.
According to sources, officials of IESCO are allegedly involved in bogus tendering process, corruption and misuse of authority in the repair to approach Road Rajjar and also in the construction of a boundary wall of I-10 Grid Station in the federal capital. And, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been requested to investigate and take action against the officials of IESCO who are allegedly involved in bogus tendering process, corruption and misuse of authority. The FIA, however, has so far kept a mum in this regard and despite lapse of “quite some time” yet to initiate an inquiry (326/2020) into the matter.
The sources said that a new approach road was earlier constructed for Rajjar grid station in Jhelum District under the supervision of Executive Engineer Civil (IESCO) through a tendering process. However, Executive Engineer Civil (IESCO) had refloated road maintenance tender of the same approach road of Rajjar grid station a few months ago though the security maintenance period of this road was for one year while there was no need for road construction or repair until 2025 i-e three years as per IESCO rule/plan.
Moreover, as per IESCO tender advertisement rule no tender is issued to a firm /contractor whose any civil work is pending from the previous year works tenders in the same division. But the tender winning company had several pending works of the previous year on its part.
Surprisingly, the newly constructed approach road of Rajjar grid station does not need any maintenance as it is currently available in good condition and anyone can visit the road site to know the actual condition of this approach road, sources added.
Sources also informed that some cracks had appeared in the boundary wall of federal capital’s I-10 grid station (GSC house building) which was designed by NESPAK. And, IESCO’s Executive Engineer (Civil) got dismantled this boundary wall which was constructed at a cost of Rs 20 million. Similarly, the Executive Engineer (Civil), without calling a tender, had verbally asked a favourite contractor to start construction of the boundary wall of I-10 grid station under emergency rule of PPRA.
It is also learnt from sources that the cost incurred on construction of the boundary wall of I-10 grid station was Rs 6,71,37,260. However, the Executive Engineer (Civil) dismantled the boundary wall after finding cracks in it and later paid Rs 2 crore paid to another contractor on verbal commitment without calling a tender for the construction of the boundary wall of the federal capital’s I-10 grid station of IESCO.
It is pertinent to mention that the length of the designed retaining wall is 131 feet, while the length of excavation is 310Ft. Similarly, the designed height is 13.5 Ft and the depth/height of excavation is 31.5 Ft.
