Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has summoned Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) central leader and former commerce minister Amin Fahim on March 24 in connection with investigation into Rs 5 billion financial scam in Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP).
The FIA, while issuing notice to Amin Fahim, has directed him to appear before FIA investigation officers on March 24.
Karachi FIA Crimes Circle had started investigations into serious financial irregularities, allegedly found to have been committed under freight subsidy head in TDAP, during the previous government’s tenure. The volume of embezzlement swelled to billions as soon as the scope of investigation was extended.
The investigation revealed that not only the owners of fake export companies, brokers and senior officers of the TDAP were involved in this scam, but also the key political personalities of the previous PPP led government had patronised this financial scandal.
FIA not only arrested owners of fake export companies but also took into custody several senior bureaucrats and two former chairmen of the TDAP. Over 65 cases have been registered against the accused for embezzling over Rs 5 billion under the head of the freight subsidy in connivance with fake export companies. Money laundering cases have also been instituted against bank officers and front men of key political personalities for transferring money embezzled through corrupt practices to other cities through banking channels and massive foreign exchange to offshore accounts through the hundi system.
The FIA has now decided to bring to justice the important political figures of former PPP-led government who were allegedly found involved in plundering the national kitty.
Through the notice sent under Section 160 of criminal procedure code (CPC), Amin Fahim was told that the amount running into over Rs 5 billion, embezzled in freight subsidy scandal, was released with the approval of Export Development Fund Committee, constituted under his chairmanship. This amount which was paid to about 65 fake companies was released under the recommendations of the then Ministry of Commerce director Farhan Ahmad Junejo, and later under the recommendations of Director Sikandar Shah. Farhan Ahmad Junejo was appointed in Ministry of Commerce on the special recommendations of Amin Fahim, and alarmingly received no salary during the period of his appointment.