Pakistani Gold Medalist’s Death Sparks Fraud Investigation Over Fake US Scholarship (EXCLUSIVE)
Physics graduate Laiba Ejaz lost millions of rupees to suspects who forged US government docs, promising admission to Harvard University, prompting federal investigation and calls for tighter regulation of overseas education consultants
By Arshad Mehmood/The Media Line [ISLAMABAD] The death of a 24-year-old Pakistani physics gold medalist who dreamed of becoming a scientist has sparked a national outcry and prompted a federal investigation into an alleged education consultancy fraud that cost her family millions of rupees.
Laiba Ejaz, from Sargodha in Pakistan’s Punjab province, was found dead on Friday, October 9, at a weekly market in Islamabad’s G-10 sector. Police said her body was found hanging from a tree, with a traditional scarf tied around her neck.
Investigators are examining…
PROCUREMENT & EXPENDITURE (STOPPING KICKBACKS)
Procurement fraud usually involves inflated invoices or “fictitious” vendors.
- The Three-Way Match: Never pay an invoice unless you have matched the Purchase Order (PO), the Delivery Note (signed), and the Supplier Invoice.
- Vendor Master File Review: Review your vendor list annually. Look for suppliers with the same bank details or physical addresses as your employees.
- Dual Authorization: Implement a “Two-to-Sign” rule for all EFT payments above a certain threshold (e.g., R5,000).
- No “Cashing” of Checks: If you still use physical checks, strictly prohibit “Cash” as a payee and store blank checks in a dual-lock safe.