ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has registered a case against Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) former chairperson Raina Saeed Khan over alleged financial irregularities and misuse of funds—a move environmentalists considering as victimisation.
It is worth noted here that Raina Saeed was a strong proponent of environment protection and quite vocal against illegal encroachments in the Margalla Hills National Park.
The removal of iconic Monal and La Montana Restaurants from the National park area is also on her credit, which hurt badly the corporate intrests of some powerful individuals.
Reportedly, the owner of Monal Hotel Mr. Luqman Ali Afzal is the brother of incumbent Federal Secretary Cabinet Kamran Ali Afzal while La Montana Restaurant was associated with Dr. Amjad—a close ally of former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf.
Talking to media, Raina Saeed said she has been working for the welfare of animals and termed the FIR a pressure tactic aimed at silencing her. She said she had already relinquished her portfolio as IWMB chairperson in February. Raina denied the allegations of embezzlement, vowing to contest the case in a court of law.
According to the FIR, Raina Saeed is accused of diverting donations from foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in her personal bank account instead of the official account of the board, and of misappropriating the funds.
The FIA alleged that the accused violated public procurement rules by making purchases without a competitive bidding process, appointed a lawyer without prior approval from the Law and Justice Division, and used the lawyer for personal interests.
The FIA also claimed that irregular Eid honorarium payments led to an overpayment of over Rs3.2 million, causing financial losses to the government exchequer.
In addition, payments were reportedly made to employees instead of vendors, and funds from a private account were used despite allocations in the regular budget.
The FIA said that Saeed willfully violated rules in awarding contracts for demarcation work in the Margalla Hills area and misused foreign currency accounts.
The FIA registered the case under Sections 109, 409, 420, 468, and 471 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.
It added that the role of other board members and officials from the Ministry of Climate Change will also be examined during the investigation.
Raids are reportedly under way at various locations to arrest the accused.
