Principal orders probe to ‘hush up’ issue
Alleged embezzlement in sale of school old stuff
Islamabad - In a rare happening, the principal of a local college sold out old furniture, newsprints, used papers and other discarded items worth over half a million of rupees allegedly in violation of the prescribed rules and later herself ordered her subordinates to conduct an inquiry to ascertain whether or not any irregularity had been happened in the process, The Nation has learnt reliably on Wednesday.
According to the sources, the principal of Islamabad College for Girls (ICG), F/6-2, allegedly in connivance with the administrator of the college sold out the discarded items for Rs 800,000 and deposited just Rs 25,000 in the treasury.
When contacted, Principal ICG Ghazala Kaleem denied the allegations. However, she admitted that the college administration had disposed of some used papers and newsprints for Rs 35,000.
She said that the payment against the sold out items was not in hundreds and thousands of rupees.
When asked if she had followed the prescribed rules in this regard, she had no answer.
The sources said that the principal has now ordered an internal inquiry to probe into the matter if some irregularity had happened. They said that Assistant Professor Zoology Rehana Abrar has been appointed head of the inquiry team which also include headmistress of the school section, Shafqat Rafique, and college accountant Ehsan as members. They further said that the inquiry has been ordered by the Principal herself through an order (ref: F 308/OR4/1047-A) dated February 12, 2015. “The principal ordered the inquiry after the college staff started speculations about the amount received against the items,” the sources said. They termed the same an attempt to sweep the issue under the carpet as in their views, the principal is the main accused in the case and how she could order an inquiry into the same by appointing her subordinates.
The sources further said that the inquiry team has recorded statements of the other staff of the college so as to compile a report to be submitted to the principal within days. It has also contacted the purchaser and sought receipts so as to ascertain whether or not any irregularity happened in the sale of the items.
–Tahir Niaz