ISLAMABAD: Audit authorities on Monday informed the Public Accounts
Committee’s implementation and monitoring body that Intelligence Bureau
(IB) was involved as an institution in misuse of secret funds.
Federal
Audit informed monitoring and implementation committee of the PAC that
meet here under Yasmin Rehman the process of audit had revealed
sufficient evidence that the Bureau spent money from secret funds
without adequate and lawful justification
The committee was
reviewing audit objections of the Cabinet Division when DG Federal
Audit Syed Gulzar Husnain pointed out that IB high-ups usually decline
production of financial record before audit officials for scrutiny.
The
DG brought to the committee’s knowledge that IB was purchasing luxury
vehicles and air conditioners with the secret fund which was not meant
for these procurements. Consequently, committee members expressed anger
over IB’s such an unyielding attitude towards the audit authorities.
Meanwhile the Cabinet Division officials informed the there was a ban
on purchase of luxury vehicles by the government outfits.
Providing
details on the IB’s audit, the federal audit officials informed the
committee that the Joint Director General, IB Lahore simply declined to
produce record of Rs18.4 million spent to purchase 67 vehicles. The
record of fuel and maintenance expense during the year 2010-2011 of
these vehicles was also not provided to the audit officials, the
committee was informed.
Similarly, the officials reminded the
committee that IB also did not provide any record for the Audit Year
2008-09. Consequently, the audit report for the said year mentioned
that “in the absence of record, the propriety and probity of
expenditure could not be ascertained. The non-presentation of record
may create doubts as to the actual existence of any such record at all,
which may make the public money vulnerable to misuse.” Online
