FIA begins probe into pensions graft case

KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has initiated an inquiry into a case involving embezzlement of millions of rupees in pension funds, managed by the district accounts officials of Hyderabad.

The investigation follows allegations that fraudulent transactions were carried out through reactivated dormant pension accounts of deceased employees of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.

According to the FIA sources, approximately 60 dormant pension accounts were reactivated, and millions of rupees were fraudulently withdrawn through unauthorised entries.

The inquiry was initiated against a bank manager and some officials of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) and the district accounts office.

The FIA has directed the district accounts officer, Hyderabad to provide detailed records, including the information on additional district account officers (In-charge pension) from January 2021 to August 2024 and all correspondence related to efforts for pension recovery following a pensioner’s death.

Bank sources revealed that an internal investigation is also under way while the prime suspect in the fraud has confessed to his involvement in the graft and returned a portion of the embezzled funds.

On the other hand, the District Accounts Office, Hyderabad staff has disbursed Rs4.3 million to a fake claimant who impersonated the deceased wife of renowned writer Dur Muhammad Kamal who died in 2017. Despite the death of his wife in 2018, the pension was erroneously continued for two and a half years to an impersonating lady.

Earlier, Manzoor Solangi, nephew of late Dur Kamal, complained to various authorities but he was not heard. It is pertinent to note that several officers from the District Accounts Office, Hyderabad are currently facing a NAB reference involving Rs3 billion embezzlement at the accountability court in Karachi.