National

Govt set to face another corruption scandal?

February 9, 2011

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KARACHI – The government is set to face another corruption scandal involving federal government officials and their relatives in a case involving fraudulently refunding billions of rupees on exports that never happened.
The allegations are carried in a letter sent to top government officials as well as the Prime Minister’s House written by a concerned citizen, Muhammad Khalid Usman. He stated that the export companies involved in the case are registered under the name of Atif Salman Hashmi, holding CNIC No 3520298070205 and National Tax Number 1297145. Hashmi apparently used his friendship with Abdul Qadir Gilani, the son of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, to get around the country’s laws and earn billions.
The letter states the companies have been paid an amount of billions of rupees even after it was discovered that they were registered under a single address, 6-C, Fourth Floor, Zamzama Phase-V DHA Karachi. “Ten manufacturer-cum-exporter companies were registered under different names but the same address,” the letter said, a copy of which is available with Pakistan Today.
The names and sales tax registration numbers of these companies are: Achee Exports (1200590748782), Amna Export (1200590756691), Amna Exports (Pvt) Ltd (1712420305419), Fariya Enterprises (1200590748455), Iraj Amna Industries (17124203032282), Sara Trading Corp. (1200581101864), Victoria Enterprises (1200590766182), Emaad Enterprises (NTN 1297145), 1 Lace Fashion (Pvt) Ltd (NTN 1297145) and Zahida Exports (NTN 1297145).
“Atif has fraudulently refunded claims worth billions of rupees and caused severe losses to the national exchequer,” letter said. Giving details, the letter stated that Rs 400 million were claimed by Achee Exports as sales tax refund that were sanctioned. The number of the first cheque, which was submitted in the account (5012-0002100-0010) of Achee Exports as sales tax refund was 4471678 while the last cheque was 8130710.
Similarly, Rs 372 million were sanctioned to Fariya Enterprises by the Tax Department as sales tax refund while Rs 242.377 million were sanctioned to Iraj Amna Industies Pvt Limited (Account No. 5012-0007773-0010) and cheques, amounting more than Rs 131.530 million were submitted in account number 5012-0010260-0010 of Amna Exports Pvt Limited. The lowest amount which had been sanctioned by the Tax Department was Rs 4.61 million that was paid to Amna Export.
The sales tax refunds of the rest of the five companies are pending. The letter states the names of three officials – Deputy Commissioner Audit Attaullah Shabbir, Deputy Commissioner Intelligence Hunack Baloch and Senior Auditor Noor Hasan – accusing them of assisting Hashmi. The letter also claims that Hashmi has free access to the Prime Minister House.
“We have been asked not to investigate the case due to the involvement of the prime minister’s son”, said an official of the customs intelligence on the condition of anonymity.