Ex-ACE chairman links his transfer to refusal to accept bribe

The chairman of the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Sindh has been transferred from his position after he said he refused to accept a “Lifafa” containing a handsome amount in bribery.

After his transfer, he wrote to a minister about what had happened to him. Officials said on Saturday speculations had started over the transfer of ACE Chairman Farhat Ali Junejo, who issued a statement in a bid to end these speculations and named some people allegedly involved in corrupt practices.

In his correspondent with minister, he said: “Sir, AOA, it is stated that right before Eid, I was given ‘lifafa’ as share of corruption for being chairman. I returned the lifafa to director and told him my religious and other reasons for not accepting it.

“I told him that this money is tainted with blood of people because it has been extorted from hospitals, food department, education dept, etc; and I will not be able to see my face if I accept it.”

He said that next day he said the same to a private person, “who runs the corruption ‘system’ in our anti-corruption department in connivance with the director. From that time onward I was being seen as a threat to corruption ‘system’”.

Junejo said that “when you called myself and director for a meeting at your residence…., I mentioned that I don’t get involved in corruption and complained of undue interference in my office”.

He further said: “Director anti-corruption office gave the outlook of market for corruption and extortion. They were running anti-corruption directorate purely on monetary and corruption considerations without an iota of focus on professionalism, public service, uplifting image/pride of our dept. A dept that needs to be pride of Sindh Govt was being run like an auction house. Reportedly, Corruption ‘System’ was minting Rs 6/7 crore per month.

He claimed that he had categorically told the director to not mint corruption money from posting and transfer orders, but he and a private person extorted Rs1.5 million each from some newly posted deputy directors and Rs500,000 to Rs1 million from each circle officer. “Being Chairman, I became extremely uncomfortable with the situation. Media and social media also started reporting about the pathetic situation of our department. At that time, I had offered to proceed on long leave.

“On Tuesday night (28th May), you called me on phone and told me that you will call me on Wednesday to discuss plan of action that I had devised to uplift our image and curb corruption in our department. I never got a call from you or your staff on Wednesday. Instead I learnt today that you had complained against me and wanted me transferred.

“There is no harm in transfer as I am very happy to get out of that suffocating environment where corruption ‘system’ rules and ‘paidageers’ run the show. I was a misfit in that environment. But any complaint against me appears unreasonable in view of confidence and trust you had shown in me only few days before to straighten the dept.

“In fact, before I had myself offered to proceed on leave after undue interference in my office matters, interference in my functions, interference of …a private person running the ‘system’) in my dept, conversion of director’s office into auction house of corruption, etc, etc.”

Junejo said: “This rejoinder to the minister became necessary because a private news [organisation] is giving twist to facts by reporting that my transfer occurred due to the transfer of a police Inspector. Such transfers are done by S&GACD department after considering all relevant rules and regulations.

“S&GACD is a competent authority and even consults Regulation Wing and Ministry of law for matters. It is lame to suggest that S&GACD dept issued an irregular order.”

Also on Saturday, a spokesman for the ACE categorically denied the statement issued by the former chairman of the department and the allegations levelled in it.

The spokesman said appointments and transfers in the department have been made on the basis of necessity and merit, in which no appointment or transfer has been made against merit under any circumstances.

He added that no intervention or recommendation has been made by the minister of the department or any official of his office to continue or end the inquiry, but the inquiries have been directed to be completed on merit by the minister of the department, Sardar Muhammad Bakhsh Mahar.

Moreover, the department is working completely independently, and there is no question of any outsider interfering in the department.

The spokesman said that there is a system of discipline in the department and there is no question of any illegal demand from any officer, circle officer or deputy director of the department from any level and all the allegations made in this regard are false and baseless.

He said several raids have been conducted during the last two months and new inquiries have been initiated. He added that the chairman of the department is a respected person and he is respected in every respect in the department and his every instruction is followed.

The spokesman rejected the allegations of illegal requests from various departments and welcomed the investigation of all allegations in this regard.

Highlighting the performance of the department during the last two months, he said the department has taken several actions against corruption in a short span of the last two months.