LAHORE: Punjab local fund audit director accused of Rs400m corruption, evades action Punjab civil secretariat.
The director of the Local Fund Audit Department has been accused of amassing a staggering Rs400 million through corruption and malpractices involving the scrutiny of funds and accounts of the local fund as well as local government departments.
According to a confidential report, Amir Saeed, a Grade 17 officer but working in Grade 20 – by the approval of the authority concerned — as the director of the Punjab Local Fund Audit Department, is alleged to have received kickbacks from the funds and accounts of the two departments in the guise of auditing various local government departments during his appointment from 2019 to 2022.
The report suggests that Saeed exploited his position and authority to extract illicit gains from officials through a range of deceptive means, including recommendations of officials for training programs, pension disbursements, transfers, postings, and record-checking procedures.
What is even more alarming is that there are numerous complaints filed against Saeed, accusing him of corruption and unethical practices. These complaints have been lodged with several authorities, including the Prime Minister’s Complaint Cell, the Anti-Corruption Establishment, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), National Accountability Bureau (NAB), and various other forums.
Despite the allegations and the evidence presented, no substantive action has been taken against him thus far.
However, the director general of the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment had ordered an inquiry into the allegations in 2022. But, that also did not yield any results, and Saeed has ended up evading accountability.
Currently, Amir Saeed serves as an auditor at Arfa Karim University, but his grade has been revised from 20 to 17.
When questioned about this demotion, Amir Saeed claimed it was the result of a transfer initiated by his immediate supervisor, Finance Secretary Mujahid Sherdil.
He further expressed contentment with his current Grade-17 position, stating with a broad smile on his face, “I was happy in Grade 20, and I am happy in Grade-17.”
