Prepared to take responsibility if I did wrong: Shahid

Managing Director of State Trading Organisation (STO) Shahid Ali has denied Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) allegations against him that he used the company credit card to obtain undue advantage, and said that he is prepared to take responsibility if he did anything wrong.

ACC submitted the case against Shahid to Prosecutor General’s (PG) Office on 26 September, alleging him of having used his position to obtain undue advantage, which is a crime under the Prevention and Prohibition of Corruption Act.

Shahid told Sun Online today that when the credit card was handed over to him by the company, there were no rules on how the card should be used.

He said that the rules were created later following an internal audit, as part of efforts to strengthen the company’s policies.

“As far as I know, even in other countries, it is not a problem as long as the money used from a credit card is paid back. I have a great responsibility as long as I am holding the card, because I would be held responsible if someone steals the card number. So I believe that I should have the right to use the card as well,” he said.

Shahid said that he had paid the money he used from the card to STO’s account; nonetheless, if ACC views this as an act of corruption, he would take responsibility for his wrongdoings.

“I thought that it should be no problem as long as I used by private funds to pay for personal expenses included in the credit card bill. The Board has also indicated that this should not be a problem,” he said.

He expressed sadness over the fact that he is being accused of corruption after fifteen years of honest and loyal services to the government.

ACC said today that the case was sent to PG Office on 26 September; however, a letter sent by ACC on 3 October to Shahid says that the case was sent to PG Office on 11 September.

ACC has accused Shahid of using the corporate credit card to make personal payments before STO’s Board of Directors passed on 11 October 2011 that the “STO Corporate Credit Card can be used to make personal payments if absolutely necessary”.