KARACHI: MCC Appraisement East has booked several persons including officials of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) in the case of fraudulent release of security instruments, which were deposited to the Collectorate in provisional assessment cases by the importers causing huge loss to the exchequer.
According to details, information was received in the R&D Section that some unscrupulous elements are involved in fraudulent release of security instruments/pay orders which were deposited to the Collectprate in provisional assessment /release cases by importers.
Sources said that former Collector Appraisement East, Najeeb Abbasi had tasked R&D to conduct scrutiny and analysis of security instruments on the information that several instruments had been fraudulently released. MCC Appraisement East has lodged an FIR and arrested NBP officials including bank manager while the main culprit is still at large.
The R&D team carrying out the task comprised of Principal Appraiser Shafiullah, Appraising Officer Azhar Abbas, Preventive Officer Malak Hashim and Adil Rasheed.
Initial probe has revealed that the nominated accused namely Muhammad Farooq S/o -Muhammad Aslam, being the fake representative of the importer has got released the pay orders on the basis of forged & fabricated Release Orders. It is pertinent to mention here that in a legitimate case, as per procedure, a Template (Release Order) can only be generated by Deputy Collector-Group. The particulars of the fraudulently released Pay Orders, supplied by the informer, were sent to the issuing banks for verification of encashment or otherwise.
The information retrieved from banks has revealed that these Pay Orders were deposited and cleared through National Bank of Pakistan, Nadir House Branch, Karachi. Further investigation disclosed that these Pay Orders were deposited illegally in the Account maintained by one Imtiaz Ahmed, with active connivance of the staff of National Bank of Pakistan as otherwise these Pay Orders issued for payment into account of “Collector of Customs” could not be deposited in an individual account considering the specific endorsement thereon.
The documents, like Bank Statement and details of account opening forms, of the above mentioned account holder confirmed the illegal transaction/deposit of above referred Pay Orders in the individual account of above accused person.
The above referred Pay Orders, which were prepared / issued for deposit in the account of “Collector of Customs” cannot be deposit in any other account without the active connivance of concerned Staff of the National Bank of Pakistan, who facilitated to deposit and clear the amount in their individual account despite the aforesaid fact that these Pay Orders were to be deposited in the account of Collector of Customs only.
The R&D section has succeeded in recovery of Rs.11.28 million which were released on forged documents. Since all the Pay Orders were meant for Collector of Customs, therefore, their deposit in individual account of Imtiaz Ahmed was impossible without the connivance of Manager, NBP branch and other staff of NBP who has reimbursed all the amount of Rs11.28 million from his own sources which is an ample proof of his involvement in this crime.
A clearing agent has also been informed following the statement of agent’s employee that a bank account had been opened in his name and the directors of companies were operating that account.
Sources said that Security Section’s Staff was hoodwinked by the actual culprits, however, the suspected involvement of Security Section shall be surfaced once the entire racket is exposed during the investigation.