FRIDAY JUNE 24: Staff hiring, promotions: ZTBL audit reveals massive irregularities

ISLAMABAD: A management audit report of Zarai Tarqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) reveals massive irregularities in appointments, promotions, payments and illegal postings of Kissan Support Services Limited (KSSL).
The management audit of Human Resource Operation Department for the period from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010, was carried out by a three member panel comprising: Muhammad Nawaz-VP/team head, Muhammad Shafiq- AVP/ team member and Israr Ahmad- OG-1/ member. Audit was conducted from January 3 to January 29, 2011.
According to the 82-page report, recruitment of executives on contract basis for a period of three years were found to be not in line with the recruitment policy of the bank laid down in HR manual as well as policy guidelines of the Establishment Division. The management audit report revealed that the Executives who were hired in violation of rules included Anees Iqbal -EVP, Ghulam Haider Marth-EVP, Khawaja Waheed Raza-EVP and Idris Ahmed Bajwa-SVP.
Other irregularities are as follows: (1) salary drawn irregularly on account of abnormal delay in notification of joining report of Imran Ehsan appointed as VP (operations), consequently he has drawn salary illegally without pay slip, notification and service book etc; (2) two special increments awarded to those employees who were not eligible for regular increment in terms of bank policy consequent to which it created conflicts between different groups. The audit report mentioned the names of Asad Elahi Chaudhry, SSO and Ahmed Waqas, AVP both of whom got two special increments @ 10 per cent despite the fact that they did not fulfil the criteria; (3) illegal appointment of Chief Operating Officer (COO), Rohi R Khan, who was suffering from cancer at the time of appointment and who was convicted and was made to pay a fine of Rs 200,000 and Rs 136,200. Audit noted that she was appointed in the position of COO on the basis of pre-decided appointment.
Irregular appointment of Ghulam Haider, EVP- Vigilance, based on discrimination on the ground of short listing, interview and selection as evident from the analysis of other contestants who were more qualified in terms of relevant job experience. Irregular appointment of Anis Iqbal, EVP, ISD, in the presence of Naseer Pervez Qureshi whose services are not being utilised for the post against which he was appointed, consequently, it increased over head cost of the bank and the bank sustained loss of salary paid to him.
Irregular appointment of Khawaja Waheed Raza as EVP audit, whose qualification and experience is not in conformity with the requirement of EVP assignment and assessment of fitness which stipulates that key executives must be qualified professionals possessing relevant experience and degree relating to the job/assignment but EVP internal audit's appointed did not fulfil the required qualification and experience.
Appointment of Chaudhry Riaz Ahmed, SVP(DPD) made on the basis of favouritism as evident from the qualification and relevant experience of the contesting candidates. Discrimination on the grounds of favouritism/ nepotism in the process of short listing, entertaining and interview evaluation of candidates by neglecting rules/ regulations and merit.
Furrukh Sohail Gondal s/o of Nazar Muhammad Gondal, former Minister for Food and Agriculture, applied for the post of OG-1 as evident from his application that was not dated wherein he showed his education as simple BA and thereafter he applied for the post of AVP, President Secretariat for which he mentioned his education as BA and LLB with 10 years experience in a very small private firm without supporting documents in form of release certificates from previous employer. His appointment was made purely to serve in the President secretariat but the team was informed verbally that he had been posted with MD KSSL.
Appointment of Ms Anisa Atta, OG-11/ PA to President at Lahore office; and recruitment of Anwar-ul-Hussain as SVP at a high salary were also found inconsistence with HR manual. The panel also found irregularities in the appointment of Jamed Imtiaz IT professional, Mr Sanaulla, SVP credit operation department, Salman Arshad, SVP operations, Qasim Mehmood Chishti, SVP, operations, Chaudhry Akbar Ali, VP(I&C), Shehzadi Sherbano, AVP/ PS to President, Sohail Atif Hameed, AVP, Agha Abdullah Jan, AVP, Syed Rafaqat Ali, OG-111, Harif Ejaz OG-11, Saima Anis, OG-111, Ahmed Shamim, AVP, banking, Naveed Khan, OG11,Ghulam Muhammad,OG-1, Muslim Sharafat VP (operations) and unauthorised absorption of Mashood Abbas Rizvi.
Irregular promotion of EVP, Javed Akhtar, appointment of Abdul Munaf Sattar, favouritism in promotions and violation of policy in posting of VPs as Zonal Chiefs and Acting Zonal Chief have also been mentioned in the audit report, in addition to huge financial loss to the bank by the incompetent bank's administration.