Education officer caught red-handed demanding bribe

KARACHI: Anti-Corruption Establishment along with a judicial magistrate raided the office of an education officer and caught him red-handed receiving a bribe.

Taluka Education Officer Jamshed Town East Zone Rashid Bhurguri had demanded a bribe of Rs30,000 from an office attendant Azhar Bhutto. The office attendant filed a complaint with the anti-corruption agency, claiming he had asked the education officer to transfer him to Taluka Education Office Gadap Town as it was located near his home and he was not in good health.

He claimed that Bhurguri demanded a bribe of Rs30,000 to issue the ruling order for his transfer. An advance payment of Rs10,000 was made previously while reminder were supposed to be paid today. He said he was unable to make the payment as he was sick and had a family to look after.

Acting on the complaint, ACE East Zone’s Circle Officer Abdul Haq Qureshi, ASI Abdul Sami Rahujo and his team raided the office of TMO Jamshed Town East in the presence of Magistrate East VIII Shahbaz Ahmed Shaikh.

The team recovered Rs20,000 cash from Bhurguri’s pockets after which he was taken into custody. Police will seek his remand from Special Anti-Corruption Court after completing legal procedure.

The victim Azhar Bhutto said that Bhurguri used to claim that he was the personal assistant of Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani. He said the suspect use to claim links with the minister’s brother Farhan Ghani to blackmail others.

Zakir Bhurguri, along with former DEO East Anees Bhugio, is allegedly involved in selling shops, kiosks and canteens in the several public schools of Saeed Ghani’s constituency and an inquiry against them is underway.