Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Missing of inquiry files against corrupt officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has now become a routine matter as the third file of inquiry against the owner of the Diplomatic Shuttle Services and company officers of the Authority has also disappeared.

The Chairman CDA and Member Admin have become powerless in front of genie officers. The Sub-Committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) directed the Secretary Cabinet and Chairman CDA to hold an inquiry against the officials involved in awarding the contract of the Diplomatic Shuttle Services to a contractor on a nominal rent.

In the previous regime of Pervez Musharraf the shuttle service was started for citizens to go to the diplomatic enclave but the then Chairman CDA Kamran Lashari and Member Finance had not taken the security clearance of the private company before awarding the contract. Many other CDA officers were found involved in the matter.

Firstly, the PAC ordered an inquiry in 2013-14 against the illegal contract and Colonel Arshad Naseem conducted an inquiry into the matter. However, the file went missing from the CDA. Later, a second inquiry report was made but it also went astray.

As a result of this, the CDA officials ordered an inquiry to find out the secret hands that stole the files. Interestingly, the corrupt officials of the Authority this time too made sure that the file was “missing” from the Authority.

The contract of the shuttle service is not only illegal but the missing files of inquiry are a matter of concern for the Chairman CDA and Member Admin. Audit officials also pointed out corruption in the shuttle service.

Missing inquiry files are not a new thing in the Authority as earlier too inquiry files about upgradation of CDA officials were missing and the concerned officers filed reports at police stations in order to save themselves.

When the process of degree verification of the CDA officials started, most of them also filed missing reports at police stations.

The powerful mafia in the CDA which plays the corruption game with shady contractors and elements has adopted an easy way to steal the files but the chairman or any other member does not have the power to find the documents.

The corrupt officers in the CDA steal the file of any investigation or dump the same by bribing the inquiry officers. The inquiry against any employee of the Authority under its rules is closed if he/she retires from service during the investigation.

The powerful mafia of the CDA takes the inquiry files home and there is no system to check this at the Authority.

A reliable officer of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) speaking to the Daily Times said that the PAC had asked for an inquiry to get the missing files but it was very difficult to identify how the files were missing and who took them away. He, however, said they were trying their best to locate the culprits.

An official of the CDA was of the view that the officers of the civic agency and low rank employees performed this function fearlessly and it had become a routine to steal the inquiry files from the office.

These people take away the files of plots worth millions of rupees to their houses and also allegedly get involved in transfer of plots and houses through fake documents.

The high-ups of the civic agency are trying their best to expose this group which is allegedly involved in such heinous crimes.