LAHORE - An internal audit of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has revealed grave financial misspending and misappropriation collectively amounting to hundreds of millions of rupees during the 22-month tenure of the former chairman.
It has been learnt that the PCB held an internal audit for the 22 months from October 2011 to May 2013 and January 15 to February 10, 2014, which showed that former chairman Zaka Ashraf has spent hundreds of millions of rupees on his lavish lifestyle, including travels around the world.
That was not all. He was also reported as misusing powers at his disposal, in particular on his own tours as well as his family members, guests and security staff. In hiring, promotions and pay raises too service rules were flouted.
On the domestic and foreign travel of Zaka Ashraf, ‘his guests, family and security staff’ cost PCB a cool Rs40 million. Purchase of vehicles also saw a steep rise, from Rs10 million under Ijaz Butt’s full three-year term to Rs42 million in his 22 months. In hiring of vehicles too, it appears, rules were completely disregarded. A Toyota Prado was hired 14 times for Rs4.27 million for the comfort of the chairman from a company that was not prequalified – something mandatory according to the PPRA rules.
The audit report also reveals, gross irregularities in purchase and distribution of match tickets during the 2012-13 tour of India, Rs759,047 worth of tickets were given away without a mention of who they were meant for.
Similarly, during the ICC Champions Trophy 2013, nearly Rs2.5 million was spent on match tickets. Despite such a huge sum being involved, it is not known at all who the beneficiaries were. The audit report also mentions “complimentary tickets were also withdrawn during three international home series played at the UAE during November 2011 to May 2013.” No figures of tickets and amount spent were revealed in the report because no record exists for audit. ‘No documentary evidence’ is the entry instead.
On the other hand there is no record of the gate money of the same three home series played in the UAE during the Zaka’s tenure.
Such extravagance, such misuse of funds was far in excess of previous chairmen of the PCB Ijaz Butt, setting a dubious record for Zaka, who has also been the subject of a NAB inquiry for misappropriation and misuse of funds worth billions of rupees.