A report prepared by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after holding a probe into illegal profits made in purchase of lions, cheetahs and black panthers for Safari Park has detected financial irregularities of Rs 27.7 million in the deal(s).
The NAB investigation team consulted several national and international wildlife professionals and experts to help them in their probe and in establishing the facts.
NAB sources disclosed that a loss of Rs 27.7 million had been caused to the national exchequer.
According to details, the purchase of two white lions for Rs 13 million against their market price of up to Rs 5.9 million has resulted in a loss of Rs 7 million to the state kitty.
Likewise, three Bengali tigers were procured for Rs 18.3 million whereas their market price was between Rs 6 million and Rs 7 million. Thus, a loss of Rs 11 million was incurred.
Similarly, a pair of black panthers, whose market price has been put around Rs 4 million to Rs 4.6 million, was purchased for Rs 11 million, causing a loss of Rs 6 million to the government.
The NAB obtained the market rates of these animals from a firm Khalid bin Kamal Trading in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to probe the Safari Park scandal. The Arab company estimated that the total value of the animals at the Safari Park was Rs 22.7. This is vastly in contrast to the price estimated by the World Wildlife Fund which was Rs 29.9 million.
There were also differences of amounts cited by other wildlife companies from around the world. For instance, another UAE company known by the name of Scock Company put the value of the animals around Rs24.1 million. This estimate was different from what the WWF had given, ie Rs 27.3 million.
Another firm came out with a different price estimate and gave the rate of the animals as Rs 25 million which contained a difference of Rs 25.9 million.
According to the findings, several other such discrepancies and frauds had been discovered by NAB officials in the purchase of other fauna.