Daily Times

KARACHI: The fourth meeting of the Board of Directors (BoD) of the Fisheries Cooperative Society (FCS) has decided to relieve five “illegally” appointed advisers to its Chairman Hafiz Abdul Berr, BoD members revealed Monday.

Besides next BoD meeting would also decide to alleviate illegally appointed legal advisers, recruited unilaterally by Chairman, they have informed.

“All these officials have been appointed without taking approval from BoD and in violation of by-laws of service rules”, Haji Shafi Jamote, Dr M Yousuf and Abuzar Mariwala, directors have opined.

Jamote said BoDs would not sign any illegal order of Chairman and even not sign minutes of the meeting as Chairman was in intention to apply his official powers to twist the decision of the meeting.

They also said that several members on BoD have refused giving approval for the release of development funds as decision releasing funds has been made by Berr unilaterally and without taking consent of BoDs.

BoDs also maintained that they would unveil the corruption of Chairman FCS before National Accountability Bureau.

They have informed that approval would not be given on matters of promotions, provisions of medical and other allowances to millions of rupees to employees as this decision Chairman has taken this decision by his own.

These advisers who have been assigned responsibilities in violation of by-laws of FCS having no any adequate knowledge and even not acquainted with the working condition of such institutions, these officials claimed.

The elected representatives on BoD have appealed to Sindh Minister Fisheries and Anti Corruption Establishment (ACE) to probe into the financial anomalies and mismanagement in FCS matters.

Secretary FCS and Board of Directors in a letter to ACE and Minister Jam Ikram Darejo have requested to probe against corrupt practices of Berr, besides abusing official powers and appointing officials without consent of Board members. He was appointed in Mach 2017.

BoD comprises eight government appointed nominees and seven private members for a period of three years, responsible to manage and look after the financial and administrative affairs of FCS besides working for the benefits of member fishermen.

Meanwhile, Saeed Baloch, Union Secretary FCS has vowed that legal action would be taken against Berr at any cost in order to purge the department from such dishonest person.

Published in Daily Times, November 21^st 2017.