The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has raised red flags on the country's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) over its unauthorised purchase of 24 luxury vehicles as well as repair and maintenance of a fleet of 169 vehicles without obtaining authorisation from the Cabinet Division.
In its audit report for the year 2019-20, the audit institution noted that the FIA headquarters "purchased 24 tampered vehicles including luxury vehicles like BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Mark X, Camry and Hilux Surf from the office of Director General, Pakistan Customs during years 2017-19", reported The Express Tribune.
The report said that on October 9, 2018, the FIA had surrendered eight luxury vehicles out of 24 vehicles to DG Customs Intelligence and Investigation in Islamabad, but no acknowledgment or handing and taking over report of the vehicles was produced to the auditor.
The AGP further observed that no officer was authorised to maintain luxury vehicles as rules and that the FIA incurred recurring liability to maintain such luxury vehicles, which was against the financial propriety and prudence required of a government department.
It further noted that a No Objection Certificate (NOC) was not obtained from the Finance Division and the Cabinet Division, The Express Tribune reported.
In response, the he FIA management replied that in order to run the enhanced official business, a case for enhancement of vehicles from 242 to 400 was moved to the Ministry of Interior in 2016, which is still pending. This reply, according to the audit, was not tenable as the case was pending and the Departmental Accounts Committee was not convened till the finalisation of the report.
Separately, the AGP also detected that the FIA headquarters was maintaining a fleet of 169 vehicles and an expenditure of Rs35.9 million was incurred on repair, maintenance and fuelling of these vehicles during the financial year 2018-19, without the NOC from the Cabinet and Finance Division.
( With inputs from ANI )
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