Pakistan's top cops charged with graft

Pakistan's anti-graft watchdog today formally charged the former police chief of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and nine other senior serving and retired police officers in connection with an over Rs 2 billion corruption case of purchase of arms and ammunition.
On receipt of complaints, the National Accountability Bureau authorised an inquiry against former police chief Malik Naveed and senior police officers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and others for alleged embezzlement in procurement of SMG, ammunition, heavy weapons, bullet-proof jackets among others in 2008-2010 by violating government rules.
They caused a loss of Rs 2.03 billion to the state exchequer, an official statement issued here said.

On request of the police department, the provincial government had approved purchase and upgrading of weapons and equipment for its use to counter the serious law and order and security situation in the province.
An amount of over Rs 7 billion was released by federal and provincial government for recruitment, training of police personnel and procurement of weapons and equipment.
During the course of inquiry, it was revealed that the contractor in connivance with other accused persons was controlling the entire process of competition of bids to get the contract.
The contract was awarded to a firm having no previous experience of supplying such items and for which payments were made in advance, the statement said.

The inspection committee were also found responsible for not carrying out tests, trials of weapons, ammunition and equipment according to procedure and obtained clearance reports from agencies concerned which were later on proved to be wrong and the persons concerned have already been held accountable and booked under the law, it said.