I was removed for not accepting ‘lafafa’: former Sindh anti-corruption chairman

Former Chairman, enquiries and Anti-corruption Establishment (ACE), Sindh, who was transferred on Friday, 31 May, 2024, from his post, has alleged massive corruption in his department and has stated that he was removed from his post due to refusal of accepting a bribe (lafafa), and attempting to expose rampant corruption in the system.

On May 31, the Sindh government reassigned ACE chairman Farhat Junejo, a BS-21 officer of the Police Service of Pakistan, instructing him to report to the Service, General Administration, and Coordination department immediately.

Although the government did not provide a reason for Junejo’s removal, he believed it stemmed from his perceived threat to the entrenched corruption system. Appointed as ACE chairman only two months prior, Junejo expressed his concerns in a letter to Sindh Enquiries and Anti-corruption Minister Mohammad Bux Mahar.

He claimed a “system of corruption” was extracting Rs60-70 million monthly from various government departments and organizations.

The minister’s spokesperson refuted these allegations, calling them baseless and regrettable coming from a respectable person.

Like an ‘auction house’

In his widely circulated letter, Junejo criticized the ACE, likening it to an auction house rather than a department of pride for the Sindh government. He recounted receiving an envelope of graft money from an ACE director just before Eidul Fitr, which he returned, condemning it as “tainted with the blood of people” due to its extortion from hospitals, the food department, and the education department.

Junejo further explained that he communicated his refusal and condemnation of the corruption to a private individual he identified as orchestrating the corruption within ACE. Following this, Junejo claimed he was viewed as a threat to the corrupt system.

He recounted a meeting with the minister, the director, and the private individual, during which he complained about undue interference in his department. Junejo accused certain ACE officials of running the anti-corruption body on monetary and corrupt considerations, neglecting professionalism, public service, and the department’s reputation.

He detailed how the corruption system allegedly generated Rs60-70 million per month and accused the director and the private individual of extracting Rs1.5 million each from newly appointed deputy directors and Rs500,000 to Rs1 million from each Circle Officer.

Minister responds

In response, a spokesperson for Minister Mahar dismissed Junejo’s accusations as unfounded and questioned why he did not raise these issues while in office. The spokesperson described Junejo’s statements as reflecting poorly on his competence and mental state, adding that the allegations would be investigated.

Junejo did not respond to attempts by Dawn to contact him for his comments on the letter. However, Chief Minister House Spokesperson Rasheed Channa stated that Junejo had not officially communicated with the Chief Minister. He noted that the letter being circulated in the media was written on plain paper and lacked Junejo’s name.