Daily Times

LARKANA: The Larkana Development Authority accounts officer Tarique Awan on Tuesday asserted that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has been conducting two inquiries to investigate the alleged corruption of Rs 30 crore committed by ghost employees of LDA.

While addressing a press conference, he claimed that he and LDA secretary have already recorded their statements while NAB’s team would arrive next week to probe into allegations of corruption against former LDA chairman Amir Zaib Jatoi.

“Ghost employees did not perform their duties, but demanded salaries by holding protests against LDA,” he added while claiming that he held a meeting with NAB officer Abdul Samad and assured him of continued full cooperation in the best interest of the department.

He alleged that LDA has been facing critical issues as provincial government of Sindh had failed to appoint director general of LDA.

He further accused LDA’s former superintendent namely Noor Nabi Sheikh of instigating ghost employees including Mumtaz Laghari, assistant director Aslam Bhutto, clerk Shahbaz Pathan and others to hold ‘threatening’ protests against LDA for demanding salaries.

“I sent a detailed report to the concerned authorities that includes profiles of 29 ghost employees, and demanded a stern action to be taken against them,” he said while adding that 280 employees have been working with LDA.

“We are ready to face a thorough investigation against us,” he added.

Meanwhile, the LDA employees including Manzoor Abro, Mumtaz Laghari, Shahbaz Pathan, Majid Jalbani and others held a demonstration in front of LDA office, and demanded salaries and an impartial investigation to be held into a massive corruption committed by LDA officials.

Published in Daily Times, June 27^th 2018.