LAHORE: The Punjab Finance Department has unearthed a massive fraud in the district accounts office Multan; under the guise of refund of the revenue deposit Rs250 million was embezzled.

As per the details shared by the department's spokesperson on Thursday, during the inspection of records and payments made to the Punjab Highways Department Multan, Punjab Finance Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo detected the fraud. After investigating the matter, it was discovered that Rs250 million was drawn by bogus claimants. The Land Acquisition Collector of the Punjab Highways Department Multan committed the fraud in connivance of the district accounts office Multan.

The embezzlement of government revenue began in 2018 and continued till date when the matter was detected by the inspecting staff of the finance department/provincial treasuries inspectorate.

"The preliminary probe and the process of the registration of FIR against the Land Acquisition Collector and the staff of the District Accounts Office Multan are underway. The main accused involved in the fraud has been arrested by Anti-Corruption Establishment Multan while they were attempting to flee the country," said the spokesperson.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021