LAHORE - Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) provincial headquarter management, to exonerate its blue-eyed officials in an scam of worth Rs 42.394 million, has dismissed innocent officials from service and referred the case to local police rather than Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), said sources in the SNGPL on Wednesday.
FIA has expressed its no confidence in the transparency of the case proceedings and sources disclosed that in this connection Director General FIA  in a letter addressed to Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore to transfer the case to FIA since it was jurisdiction of the FIA to deal with the corruption committed in Federal departments.
The letter further speaks, it is intimated that F1A has established an Electricity, Gas, Oil and Theft Unit (EGOA) under the instructions/ approval of Prime Minister of Pakistan.
An enquiry No. 4412013 dated 11-09-2013 is under probe on the charges of corruption and malpractices against the high-ranking officers of SNGPL Lahore, contractors and others. Enquiry officer collected sufficient incriminating evidences against culprits which connects the alleged persons with the commission of crime.
During the proceedings of the above referred enquiry, it has come on the record that SNGPL management has lodged a complaint by excluding the high-ranking officers. Consequent upon subject case F1R No.1366/2013, dated 19-06-2013 U/S 409 PPC, Police Station Ghalib Market, Lahore has been registered.
In view of the above, it is requested that the subject case may be transferred to FIA EOGA unit, FIA/HQ lslamabad for want of territorial jurisdiction and to conduct transparent investigation against the government officers of SNGPL authorities who are administrated by the Federal Government being Federal department. SHO/PS Ghalib Market Lahore may be directed to handover the police file to FIA to avoid any legal complications (i.e. double jeopardy) in future. An early action is requested, the letter concluded.
Sources disclosed that provincial management has nominated those officials in the FIR who were exonerated in the fact finding report submitted by the auditors. Senior officers like Sohail Gulzar who were held responsible for the scam were exonerated by the provincial management and FIR was got registered against those who were declared innocent in fact finding report. Appeal of one official out of two facing same charges was accepted while other’s was rejected for reinstatement, due to reasons best known to the authority. Sources revealed that case file has been transferred to the FIA headquarter.