Rs 39.50 million fraud detected in AEDB

Another fraud of Rs 39.50 million in Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) has been detected, as inquiry into the fraud confirms that the AEDB management paid the money against a ghost solar thermal power plant technologies project.
The inquiry report submitted to the ministry of Water and Power makes stunning disclosures and reveals novel way of AEDB's officials to put money into their pockets in the name of projects, which were never initiated or commissioned. The report indicates that top officials of the board have hands in gloves with some unscrupulous elements to cheat the ministry and make payments of millions of rupees to the fake projects.
The report clearly speaks that the officials of AEDB did not follow the rules and procedures in award of contracts to dummy project developers. In the case of ghost solar thermal power plant technologies the inquiry committee held two top officials of AEDB responsible for the fraud and recommended strict action against them.
However, those officials of AEDB proved to be even more powerful than those who were asked to fix responsibility and book for the fraudulent payments of Rs39.50 million for a ghost project. Those involved in the fraud were so powerful and hungry to make money that they paid first instalment of Rs24.18 million to dummy developer as mobilisation charges then second instalment of Rs14.9 million although the project was never initiated and then third instalment of Rs4.5 million as escalation cost. This is a glaring example of fraud in AEDB, which is supposed to provide the country much needed power through alternative source of energy.
The report said as per the PC-1, solar thermal power plant technologies project was conceived in 2006 and it was to be established in lower Sindh and Balochistan with an objective to generate electricity in far flung areas of these two provinces and benefit the people living there. However, Dr Irshad Ahmed, senior project developer, Nasim A Khan, secretary/ member technical, project director forged the project documents. The inquiry committee held these two officials of the board sole responsible, who managed payments in three instalments in violation of the rules and procedure to grab money against ghost project.
The inquiry report said, " payments of millions of rupees against a ghost project of solar thermal power plant technologies is not a sheer violation of the contract but also a glaring example of misuse of public money by the government officials. The payments were sent for approval by Dr Irshad Ahmed so he is major shareholder of the wrongdoing and responsible of misuse of the official position to make fraudulent payments. Brigadier Nasim Ahmed Khan (Retd) is also responsible for the fraudulent payment for a ghost project as he recommended approval of the payments to chairman Air Marshal Shahid Hamid (Retd).
Again payments of millions of rupees for a ghost power project also question the credibility of Shahid Hamid. Another interesting side of the story is inaction on the part of the high ups of the ministry of Water and Power who are not yet bother to take any action against the characters of the fraud the company involved in it.