In a landmark ruling, the Gilgit Anti-Corruption Court has issued its first major verdict, sentencing two health department officials to life imprisonment for their involvement in corruption linked to a hospital equipment procurement tender.
The court found a lab technician and a radiologist guilty of tampering with a 2022 tender for the purchase of equipment for a 30-bed hospital in Nagar. According to the judgment, the Rs20 million tender was deliberately not advertised through the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), a move intended to benefit preferred contractors.
Anti-Corruption Court Judge Mahmood-ul-Hassan, who presided over the case, ruled that the accused engaged in willful forgery and corrupt practices throughout the tender process.
Beyond the life sentences, the court imposed fines totaling Rs10 million on members of the procurement committee for negligence and ordered their dismissal from service. The ruling also directed the deputy commissioner to confiscate the committee members’ properties if the fines are not paid.
Additionally, the court sentenced a former Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) from the Anti-Corruption Establishment to two years in prison for conducting a flawed investigation in the case.
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