ISLAMABAD – Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Lahore has registered an FIRagainst certain contractor firms for misappropriation of funds in aPakistan Cricket Board project. Some PCB officials are also said to beinvolved in the wrongdoings.

The agency has found forgery in the Garhi Khudabakhsh stadium in Larkanaagainst the Ever-shine contractors, the installation of the biomechanicallab at Gaddafi stadium and construction of Far End Pavilion in Lahore.

FIA is looking into the matter of fake bank guarantee of Rs. 8.6 millionfurnished to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) by the contractors, therebyregistering a case against the defaulters under sections 406, 420, 468 and471 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The PCB Officials are yet to get a clean chit from FIA under various casesincluding the construction of Gaddafi Stadium’s Far End Pavillion, MultanCricket Academy, and Biomechanical lab’s construction in Gaddafi Stadium.

FIA is further investigating the scam involving PCB officials regarding theloss to the government exchequer in the afore-mentioned cases. According tothe FIA, excess payment was made to M/S Rare Builders in Multan Academycontract, while fake payment was awarded to M/S Mecto in the Far EndPavillion project.

FIA had established that PCB paid a “mobilization cost” of Rs 5.6 millionin addition to the bidding amount in the Multan Academy project. “This isillegal and it was not possible without the collusion of both parties”, anFIA Official told a news agency link>.

In the biomechanical lab project, the contractors had accused PCB’s ChiefOperating Officer Subhan Ahmed of not releasing payments as agreed,however, the cricket’s governing body had denied the claims whilemaintaining that the officer involved in the scam had been terminated.