Islamabad-International Islamic University administration is sitting on the inquiry held against a visiting foreign faculty member to save the skin of blue-eyed officials involved in the alleged financial misappropriation, sources said on Monday.

A three-member committee had been formed by the university administration to probe the alleged embezzlement involving payment of Rs580,000 to the foreign faculty member hired from King Faisal University. The committee members included Vice President Naveed Aqdas, Dr Saeed Chishti and Director OIRC Adnan Khan.

The source informed The Nation that one of the committee members was delaying finalising the inquiry report to favour few officials allegedly involved in misappropriation of the funds.

It was earlier reported that the guest faculty member was paid heavily from the Higher Education Commission grant without fully acquiring his services.

An official close to the inquiry proceedings told The Nation that the report had been submitted, but was not being stamped as few on in the top management were trying to save the Faculty of Basic and Applied Sciences (FBAS) officials who were having close links with the guest lecturer.

The official said that the inquiry was also held in a dubious way where a number of faculty members were called to record their statements before the committee through emails mentioning no charges. Also, even the letter issued in this regard was not emailed to the officials called for inquiry, but only number of the letter was mentioned in the email.

“The people were only sent the letter number without mentioning the charges and reasons of calling to record their statement on the matter,” said the official, adding that some of the officials who appeared before the inquiry committee protested against the way they were called for inquiry. However, their objection was not considered by the administration.

One of the officials who appeared before the inquiry committee also filed a complaint against delay in release of the inquiry held to fix responsibility for the alleged scam, the official said.

A letter sent by the said official in this regard stated that he received an email and letter by Additional Director ORIC Adnan Khan, which mentioned an office order regarding his personal hearing before the fact-finding committee. In the letter, Adnan asked me to appear before the committee. Despite several requests, however, I was denied seeing the office order about composition and terms of reference of the fact-finding committee, the official wrote, adding that he appeared before the committee a month ago. The official requested for completing the inquiry as soon as possible.

The source further said that Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training and the HEC had written letters to the university administration and strictly directed to probe the matter.

Rector IIUI Dr Mosoom Yasinzai while talking to The Nation said that the inquiry committee held about three meetings and gave the chance of hearing to the persons nominated in the matter. He said that the fact-finding committee was still working on it and had not given its recommendations in this regard.

Earlier, the IIUI also gave safe passage to officials involved in a book scam and waved off penalties imposed upon the officials on recommendations of a VP and president of the university.

The order issued in this regard said, “On the recommendations of the vice president (AF&P), the President has been pleased to wave off the minor penalties imposed on Muhammad Saleem.

The order further said that cost of 572 ream papers amounting to over Rs 1 million recovered from the accused be returned.