Author: Hamza Shahnawaz

ISLAMABAD: A senior auditor of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has been awarded major penalty of ‘dismissal from service’ on allegations of corruption, misconduct and inefficiency.

The FBR on Friday through a notification said that disciplinary proceedings under Government Servants (Efficiency & Discipline) Rules, 1973 were initiated against Gulraiz Ahmad Raza, Senior Auditor (BS-16), while he was posted in Regional Tax Office-III, Karachi (Now RTO-II, Karachi) through charge sheet issued on January 05, 2016.

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Abdul Rehman Khilji, then Additional Commissioner, CTO Karachi was appointed as Inquiry Officer to conduct inquiry on account of acts of omission and commission committed by the accused officer; constituting  Inefficiency,  Misconduct and Corruption.

The inquiry report proved the charges levelled against the officer.

On the basis of the inquiry report, show cause notice No. 2(856)/2010-MIR-III/104869-R dated 19.07.2021 was issued to the accused officer by the Authorized Officer i.e. Chief (HRM-IR) with the directions to submit reply by 09.08.2021. Later on, upon the request of the accused officer date of submission of reply was extended up to 10.10.2021.

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In his reply to the show cause notice vide letter dated 07.09.2021, the accused officer neither commented upon the merits of the case nor submitted any reply to the charges but only requested for provision of previous inquiry report which was regretted vide letter 2(856)/2010-MIR-III/155893-R dated 27.09.2021.

He was also granted an opportunity of personal hearing vide No. 2(856)/2010-MIR-III/155893-R dated 27.09.2021 on 18.10.2021. Nevertheless, the accused did not avail the opportunity of personal hearing and did not show up on the due date of hearing.

It is pertinent to mention that clarification was sought from Establishment Division as to whether who would be Authorized Officer for the inquiries initiated before 08.06.2017.

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Establishment Division being custodian of the Civil Servants Act & Rules made thereunder vide Sr.13(10) of schedule II of the Rules of Business 1973 advised vide their O.M. No. 16/18/2000-R-II dated 03.06.2021 that pending cases initiated under Board’s Notification dated 20.04.2010 would continue to be processed by the same Authorized Officer and Authority.

In light of the above and on the basis of the report of the Inquiry Officer, the Authorized Officer, as notified vide Board’s Notification No. 1014-M.III/2010 dated 20.04.2010, under rule 5(1)(iv) of the Government Servants (Efficiency & Discipline) Rules, 1973, recommended to the Authority i.e. Member (Admn/HR) for imposition of one of the major penalties, as defined in Rule 4(1)(b)(ii),(iii) & (iv) of the rules ibid upon the accused officer.

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Now, therefore, the Authority, after considering the facts of the case, has imposed the major penalty of “Dismissal from Service” under Rule 4(1)(b)(iv) of the Government Servants (Efficiency & Discipline) Rules, 1973 upon Gulraiz Ahmad Raza, Senior Auditor (BS-16), FBR (Hq), Islamabad.

Gulraiz Ahmad Raza shall have the right of appeal, as admissible under the Civil Servants (Appeals) Rules, 1977.