Siemens Engineering Company (PVT) Limited produced a forged ‘possession’ letter allegedly issued by the planning wing of Capital Development Authority (CDA) in 2005 that said 21 industrial and residential plots were handed over to CDA, which it never acquired and the damages accrued to authority as a result are more than Rs 4.5 billion.
The civic agency leased out 29 industrial and 13 residential plots to T&T department for a period of 99 years in sector I-9/4 and I-9/2, later on, the rights of all the plots were transferred to Carrier Telephone Industries (CTI) on June 1998.
On privatization of CTI in 2005, Siemens Pak acquired 18 industrial, 3 residential plots, and remaining 11 industrial and 10 residential plots were apparently handed over to CDA by providing a forged ‘possession’ certificate prepared by the planning wing of CDA that they had acquired 21 plots.
“Siemens before winding up there office at sector I-9, had further leased these plots to Telecom Foundation illegally in billions, and managed CDA by bribing the officers and got hold of a fake possession certificate so in future they could produce it in courts,” said an officer of planning wing, privy to development while requesting anonymity.
Interestingly, this massive irregularity was pointed out by the surveyor on February 20, 2013. He disclosed that the plots which were ‘on-papers’ handed over to CDA were actually in the possession of Telecom Foundation.
CDA Chairman Sheikh Anser Aziz, when contacted, said that this irregularity was committed by the private companies before his era. He said that incumbent CDA administration took serious actions and also took over the possession of those plots.
“Matter of 4 plots is sub-judice, though, 17 industrial and residential plots would be placed in open auction soon. The authority will generate huge revenue from it, and strict action would be taken against the officer who issued the forged letter of possession to this company,” he said.
Responding to a question, he said that Siemens had shifted its office abroad; however, it came under the Ministry of Information and Technology (IT) and CDA was mulling to seek the help of IT Ministry to impose penalty on Siemens (PVT) Limited.
According to documents, available with Pakistan Today, the Enforcement Directorate has been repeatedly asked and directed to take the possession of these precious plots worth billions of rupees, but due to weak internal control, the concerned directorate allegedly did not pay any heed to this matter of supreme importance.
Though, in November 2016, the possessions of these plots were taken over by the Enforcement Directorate. “However action for taking over illegal possession should be taken against the Telecom Foundation as soon as status-quo is vacated in the court of law against 4 plots,” the letter stated.
It may be mentioned here that both the companies, Siemens and CTI filed a joint petition in Lahore High Court (LHC).
The court order reads as follows, “A) The scheme of amalgamation of both the petitions companies, the said scheme including vesting orders pursuant to section 287 of the companies ordinance 1984 and relating to the transfer of the whole of the undertakings, including all assets, properties, liabilities rights, privileges, powers, bank and other accounts, trademarks, patents and licenses and all other assets, properties liabilities, privileges, powers, contracts including contracts of employment between CTI and its employees who have agreed to accept employment with Siemens consents, authorizations and licenses and liabilities of petitioner No.2 to petition No. 1 with effect from the transfer date i.e. November 2016, consequently, petitioner No. 1 shall stand dissolved without being wound up. B) The costs and incidental expenses to this application shall be paid by petitioner No. 1. The company’s stands disposed of accordingly.”
