The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Anti-Corruption Circle Islamabad announced on Monday the arrest of five individuals connected to a fake recruitment scam at the Associated Press of Pakistan Corporation (APPC), the premier national news agency.
The arrests follow an extensive investigation initiated by Director Shahzad Bukhari and Deputy Director Muhammad Afzal Khan Niazi, which began after multiple complaints revealed irregularities in the APPC’s recruitment procedures.
The investigation pointed to a network of corruption led by Arshad Majeed Ch, a former Manager of Accounts at APPC. Sub-Inspector Ihtesham Gondal led the operation that resulted in the arrests of Majeed and four accomplices: Taimoor Arshad, Fawad Ahmed Khan, Saad Yousaf, and Qaiser Javed.
The suspects were apprehended after Special Judge Central (SJC) Islamabad rejected their pre-arrest bail applications. The investigation uncovered that the accused had manipulated the recruitment process to hire individuals in violation of established rules, resulting in significant financial losses for both APPC and the national treasury.
The suspects are alleged to have issued fraudulent appointments and misappropriated funds, causing damage to the agency’s finances. The FIA is continuing its investigation, tracing misused funds and expanding the inquiry to include other potential individuals involved in the scam.
FIA officials have encouraged citizens to report any instances of corruption, assuring that the agency will pursue thorough investigations and take necessary action to ensure transparency and accountability within public institutions.