NAB delivers recovery cheque of Rs 94.1mn to UoS in private sub-campuses case

SARGODHA: The University of Sargodha (UoS) has received a cheque worth Rs. 94.1 million recovered by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Lahore in private sub-campuses of the UoS case.

The cheque of looted money was handed over to the Registrar, UoS Fahadullah by the Director General (DG) NAB, Lahore at his office on Thursday in a case investigated by the anti-graft watchdog in October 2018.

Out of the total recovered amount, Rs. 59.3 million would be returned to the exploited students under the supervision of NAB officials.

According to NAB an amount of Rs. 34.8 million was embezzled by the then administration of the UoS after misusing their powers and maladministration.

The amount Rs 59.3 million, out of total was withdrawn from the pockets of innocent students studying in the sub-campuses which were also established illegally by the ex-Vice Chancellor (VC) of UoS Dr Akram Chaudhary and his close aides.

The NAB has further declared that ex-administration not only charged heavy fee from the students but also not awarded degrees and transcripts to them.

The ex-VC Dr Akram, former Registrar UoS and management of the Lahore and Mandi Bahauddin sub-campuses were taken into the custody in October 2018.

They were accused of establishing illegal sub-campuses, jeopardizing the future of students, making excessive admissions, issuing fake documents to the students including transcripts, NOCs and registration cards, committing financial embezzlement and causing a loss of millions of rupees to the public exchequer.

The ex-VC is still under custody of the NAB and his last bail petition has also been rejected by the Supreme Court (SC).

The imprisoned management of the illegal sub-campuses had submitted a plea bargaining application before the NAB in February, 2019 agreeing to return Rs. 110 million in the case.

Two former director admin of the Lahore sub-campus, Dr Akram and Shafiq had agreed to return Rs 9.2 million and Rs. 50.2 million respectively while ex-CEO Mandi Bahauddin sub-campus Waris Nadeem had also agreed to return Rs. 40.7 million.

The UoS said that private campuses had been established illegally without fair and open competition process while Lahore and Mandi Bahauddin campuses were also established even without obtaining the necessary approvals from the Syndicate.

The current Vice Chancellor of Sargodha University, Dr Ishtiaq Ahmad had exposed the unlawful constitution of the private sub-campuses before the court while the then Chief Justice had appreciated his work in acting against the powerful owners of the private sub-campuses.