PBM embezzlement case: LHC orders arrest of former MS HFH

The judge of Lahore High Court (LHC), Rawalpindi bench Justice Ejaz Ahmed on Tuesday ordered the arrest of former MS HFH and dispenser on embezzling millions of rupees of Baitul Maal Fund. The learned Judge while cancelling the bails of both the accused former Medical Superintendent Holy Family Hospital (MS HFH) Dr Abid Shah and Head Clerk of the same hospital Mohammad Qamar - observed that corruption cases could not be spared at any cost.
Both the accused have been sent to jail immediately. The judge resumed the proceeding of Rs 8.3 million fraud case in Holy Family Hospital on Tuesday. Shah Khawar Advocate represented the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). He argued that the funds of PBM are reserved for the poor patients, who could not afford the costly treatment with their own resources. He forcefully pleaded the cancellation of bails of the main accused in PBM funds embezzlement case.
The fraudsters MS HFH and Head Clerk was on bail from the Court of Central Judge Special. The learned judge ordered their arrest. It may be mention here that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had arrested Mohammad Qamar (dispenser), Shafqat Raheem (accounts clerk), Ghulam Syedain Rizvi (accounts officer), and Sardar Asif and Afsar Khan (owners of medical stores) for alleged fraud and forgery to the tune of Rs 8.3 million.
On December 24, 2009 the dispenser presented PBM 12 cases of hepatitis treatment, costing a total of Rs 3.1 million, for approval. However, on verification from the hospital it was found that the cases were bogus claims.
Initial scrutiny of the cases pertaining to the Holy Family Hospital revealed that 47 other fake/bogus cases were processed and an amount of Rs 8,316,400 was misappropriated or embezzled. Upon this the FIA was informed and it caught the five accused. Their modus operandi was that the accounts clerk, with the connivance of others, managed some computerised national identity cards (CNICs) and prepared fake cases for treatment of hepatitis.
On receiving the cheques from the PBM for medical treatment of the applicants, the clerk in collaboration with the accounts officer and the proprietors of different pharmacies (Bilal Drug Store, Suleman Chemist, Punjab Pharmacy and Saad Medical Store) prepared fake cash memos/invoices showing that injections/medicines were purchased.