News

News

House keeper compulsorily retired
The executive housekeeper of Parliament who was found guilty of being involved in a fraud relating to the supply of curtaining to the Legislature in 2001, has been sent on compulsory retirement. She was found guilty on five charges in an inquiry conducted by retired High Court judge U.L.A.Majeed.

Following the findings of the inquiry, the Secretary General of Parliament has written to the officer concerned stating that she has been sent on compulsory retirement “on sympathetic grounds as an alternative to a dismissal,” in a letter sent last week.

The officer had been under interdiction since 2003 and the day of compulsory retirement has been fixed as 15.07.2003 - the day of the interdiction.
The five charges the former housekeeper was found guilty of include aiding and abetting the suppliers of curtains to Parliament to receive fraudulently payment in a sum of Rs. 52,552.80 for curtains not supplied by them by making an endorsement in the invoice produced by the suppliers and on a charge of causing a loss to the state by certifying and forwarding an invoice for six sheer curtains - which were never supplied - for an extent of 118.74 sq.ft at the rate of Rs 64.22 per sq.ft making a sum of Rs. 7625.48, dishonestly demanded by the suppliers which the accused aided and abetted them to receive.

The third charge was for violating the tender agreement with the supplier according to which the supply of curtains should have been completed on or before 27 February, 2001. The supplying was finished 11 weeks later but the accused officer had prevented the recovery of Rs. 39,487.71 from the supplier being the delay charges at one per cent per week by making a false endorsement on the invoice to the effect that the “items were ready but due to the Budget sessions they could not be delivered as we were unable to admit outsiders.”

The fourth charge was for furnishing new curtains to the library windows containing an extent of 1845.62 sq.ft on her own decision and without the permission of the Tender Board or the Secretary –General of Parliament there by causing a loss to the state of Rs 363,531.71.The fifth charge she was found guilty of was for violating a Tender Board decision by receiving curtains fitted with lining material other than thermal black out lining for the curtains fitted to the executive dining hall and the member’s guests dining hall without approval of the Tender Board or the Secretary General.

Top

Back to News