KARACHI: The fact finding committee formed by the Federal board of Revenue (FBR) to investigate the case of clearance of miscellaneous goods in the garb of iron & steel remeltable scrap has returned the case to the Board submitting that further proceedings could not be made as Directorate General of Customs Intelligence & Investigation had refused to join the proceedings.
In a letter to Secretary FBR, Chief Collector Manzoor Memon, chairman of the fact finding committee, conveyed that Directorate General I&I had refused to join the investigations, hence the committee was not in a position to proceed with the investigation.
DG I&I is of the view that DG I&I was already pursuing the case and a detailed report had been furnished to chairman FBR and they did not need to join the investigations of the fact finding committee.
The fact finding committee headed by Manzoor Memon and comprising Director PCA Gul Rehman and Additional collector PQ-Export Riaz Ahmed Memon was formed to apportion blame and determine role/connivance of Customs officials/officers of MCC Port Qasim in the clearance of consignments which contained miscellaneous high value goods in the garb of low value scrap.
Sources in I&I said Chairman FBR Nisar Mohammad Khan had been informed about the involvement of customs officers in this heinous crime, but no action was taken against them instead they including Collector Mukarram Jah were given a safe passage to go on training.
Several Importers including M/s Khurram Steel, M/s Orient Enterprises and M/s Lucky diamond Enterprises in collusion with their other accomplices are involved in fraudulent clearance of fabric, mobiles accessories and other dutiable goods in the garb of import of iron/steel re-melt-able scrap, from MCC Port Qasim inflicting colossal revenue loss to the public exchequer.
Directorate General, Intelligence and Investigation-FBR, (Customs Enforcement), Karachi detected the case and forwarded a report to Chairman FBR mentioning involvement of MCC Port Qasim officials and officers in the scam.