MP&NR; hands over evidences to FIA

Author: By Rana Mushtaq

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources (MP&NR) has handed over the proofs and evidences to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general regarding the pilfering of crude oil, worth Rs 100 billion, by a Hungarian company.

In light of these proofs, FIA would now move the investigation forward about the theft, which caused a hefty loss to the national exchequer. The evidences that are given to FIA also include reports of the probes made so far by the ministry in the regard.

FIA has moved a summary, seeking assistance from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) chairman for hiring of three experts to probe the mater, and it was very much likely that the services of oil experts might be transmitted to FIA during the current week.

FIA Peshawar Director Shariq Shazad has been assigned to probe this case. Last week, Petroleum Ministry Secretary Arshad Mirza had assured the National Assembly standing committee that all the record of oil theft by a multinational organisation would be given to FIA.

Sources told Daily Times that some of the former and sitting high-ups of the Ministry of Petroleum had visited Hungary on the expenses of the Hungarian company, MOL, and the record regarding these foreign visits was also given to FIA.

Some two weeks ago, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Resources Jam Kamal also visited the head office of MOL at Hungary clandestinely while the entire expenses of the visit were bore by the firm.

It is pertinent to mention that MOL, an oil exploring firm, stole crude oil worth of Rs 100 billion from an oil drilling field situated at Hangu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

FIA in its preliminary report, which was submitted to the standing committee, had pointed out that it was almost impossible for MOL to steal the oil in such a heavy quantity without assistance of anybody else. The agency had also mentioned in its report that at the drilling site, oil flows with the pressure of 1500 PSI in the main pipeline and it was unfeasible for the company to make hole in it without switching off the plant.