Vehicles procurement: Sindh NAB detects Rs 66.7 million embezzlement in Education Department

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Sindh has detected a sleaze of Rs 66.7 million in provincial education department during procurement of 43 vehicles in 2007. According to sources, the case of corruption was committed in the project regarding elementary teachers training program of Education & Literacy Department (E&LD) of government of Sindh. The project was implemented with the assistance of Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
Sources said that on March 2, 2007, former project Director CIDA Naimatullah Shaikh with the approval of the then Secretary Education Sabhago Khan Jatoi made payment of Rs 95 million to World Automobiles for the purchases of 43 luxury vehicles including 2 Parado, 14 Hilux double-cabin, 25 Hiace vans and 2 Suzuki Cultus.
They said the department, instead of procuring directly from manufacturers or authorised dealers, placed the purchase orders to Shahzeb Trunkwala, director of World Automobiles with mala fide intention as he is neither the authorised dealer of Indus Motors nor of Pak Suzuki Motors.
However, World Automobiles had further placed the same to Indus Motors Company and Pak Suzuki Motors through its authorised dealers 'Toyota Central Motors' and Danish Motors for the procurement of the required vehicles. Further, they said the accused World Automobiles had placed the purchase orders of two Suzuki vehicles with the name of private persons instead of education department.
Sources said that Toyota Central Motors and Danish Motors handed over all the vehicles to the accused firm by June 2007 but the vehicles were not supplied to the E&LD. As per record, the education department has received only one Parado, 13 Hiace vans and a Cultus, while remaining 28 vehicles were allegedly sold and transferred to private persons in connivance with officers of education department. They said the Sindh education department had neither received the rest of the vehicles nor the amount of the said vehicles was refunded since 2007. However, the accused automobile firm had collected Rs 63 million in this connection.
Following the said corruption in the education department, the authorities of CIDA are contemplating to look away further financial assistance for the project, sources added. They said the case was forwarded to the NAB by the then secretary education Naheed lqbal Durrani on the directives of Minister Mazharul Haq.
Moreover, they said, the NAB has also detected a scam of Rs 3.7 million in the procurement of a school bus for students of Government High School Pithoro located in district Umerkot. In June 2006, the then Chief Minister of Sindh while visiting the said school issued directives for purchasing a school bus for students.
However, the Sindh education department had violated the rules for procurement of vehicles by placing purchase order of a school bus to Nissan World Automobiles with the approval of the then secretary education Sabhago Khan Jatoi instead of procuring the same from an authorised dealer at manufacturer's price. Consequently, a cheque of Rs 3.7 million was issued for the said unauthorised automobile firm, which was owned and operated by two brothers namely Shahzeb Turnkwala and Muhammad Anas Trunkwala.
Sources said the education department, which had only obtained the quotations and the pre-receipted bill from World Automobiles, placed the purchase order to the same with mala fide intentions. They said the poor school children are still waiting for pick & drop facility while the funds in this regard have been utilising since 2006.