ISLAMABAD: Following multiple allegations, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been investigating various irregularities and massive corruption within the management of Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO).
According to sources, the FIA had earlier initiated an inquiry to probe alleged illegal electrification of numerous unauthorised housing societies along with installation of commercial transformers. The utility company has so far eluded the authority’s demand for the provision of relevant records and has failed to appear before FIA.
Upon further investigations FIA discovered additional discrepancies such as alleged illegal appointment of contractual employees and subsequent “regularisation” of these employees to permanent roles in the company. Funds have also been allegedly misallocated through bogus tendering done by the management of IESCO.
The alleged corruption and discrepancies have been combined into a single investigation by the FIA.
Despite the seriousness of the alleged crimes, two years have passed since the initial inquiry began and the management of the company have so far avoided presenting the relevant records and appearing before the FIA.
“Instead of providing records and appearing before the FIA, IESCO management which is involved in the alleged irregularity & corruption has initiated internal inquiry in order to cause delay in the FIA inquiry,” said sources.
Official sources in FIA on condition of anonymity confirmed that FIA has sent several notices to the IESCO to present relevant records and appear before the agency for over a year. But, IESCO management instead of providing the record and appearing before FIA has so far ignored and paid no heed to the repeated notices of FIA.
Now FIA has changed its inquiry officer (IO) and handed over the inquiry 326/2020 to a new IO who is expected to conclude this inquiry in the near future, said official sources in FIA.
When the spokesman of IESCO was contacted by Pakistan Today/Profit, he said,” Inquiry regarding Xen Civil, operation directorate IESCO confirmed that departmental inquiry after intimation to FIA has been started against Xen Civil Division and outcomes will be forwarded to FIA”.
Responding to question regarding illegal connections to societies, the spokesman said “Planning & Engineering Incharge and officer Mr. Naqvi confirmed that any area electrified after fulfilling all codal formalities and reminder to all remaining circles has been issued to provide details of such connections and if any officer or official found guilty action detail may also forwarded”.
Sharing details of the alleged corruption in the illegal electrification of numerous unauthorised housing societies and installation of commercial transformers.
Sources said IESCO has electrified many illegal/unregistered/banned housing societies in its jurisdiction at Islamabad and Rawalpindi areas.
Ghouri Town, Gulberg Green, Royal Housing Society, Airport Housing Society, Shaheen Town, Faisal Town etc are some big examples where IESCO has given bogus electricity along with connections/metres, HT/LT structure including free of cost transformers.
IESCO has also given hundreds of temporary electricity connections to several high-rise buildings causing huge financial loss to the national exchequer, according to sources.
They added that massive corruption was only possible due to the appointment of incompetent and corrupt “blue-eyed” officials at key roles within IESCO.
This has been compounded over the years as neither power division nor any investigating agency/body has so far held them accountable for their alleged crimes and misuse of power at the cost of national exchequer.
Sources further added that IESCO management has offered an important vacancy of Deputy Manager (Admin & Services), IESCO to Waqas Ali Khan allegedly without any form of due process such as tests and interviews.
And, FIA has so far repeatedly asked IESCO management to provide a complete record including personal file along with minutes of meetings and approvals related to the “alleged illegal appointment and subsequent regularization of Waqas Ali Khan, Deputy Manager (A&S), IESCO”.
However, IESCO management has so far failed to respond to the repeated reminders/notices of FIA.
Manzoor Hussain Kazmi, Chairman Anti-Corruption Cell, Labour Unit of IESCO (CBA), in an application, a copy of which is also available with Profit, has also requested the Deputy Director FIA to probe the massive corruption and irregularities in IESCO and take strict action against floating a bogus process/managed tender NCB 14 dated August 18, 2022 worth Rs20 million.
The tender was floated regarding the special repair of Rajjar approach road (IESCO Civil Division G-8, Islamabad), the fact to note is that the road was only completed a year ago. He said that the tender for construction of a new Rajjar approach road was floated a few months back and there was no need of road construction or repair of Rajjar approach road until 2025.
However, a tender for road maintenance was refloated only to allegedly syphon off money. Similarly, the IESCO management in a bid to mint money has also spent Rs 20 million in the construction of a boundary wall at I-10 GSC house building without following due procedures, read the application of Manzoor Hussain Kazmi, Chairman Anti-Corruption Cell, Labour Unity of IESCO (CBA).
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