ISLAMABAD: The top tax authority has been barred from taking legal action against money laundering scandal-hit supermodel Ayyan Ali, however, it is not clear who stopped Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) from taking action against the model.
As per media reports, FBR had prepared a case against Ayyan Ali under section 192-A of the Income Tax Ordinance, according to which hiding income over Rs 500,000 or providing wrongful information is a criminal offence punishable by two years in prison or bank accounts being seized.
According to an FBR officer, action will be taken if tax evasion under the concerned section of the Income Tax Ordinance is proven in front of a special judge.
Ayyan Ali has a National Tax Number (NTN) but she did not declare her assets. She owns a flat in DHA Karachi which was purchased in September 2011. She also has an account in a Karachi private bank with funds of Rs 3.5 to 4.0 million. There were also two transactions of Rs 900,000 in this account during October 2014. Ayyan has a double-cabin vehicle which is worth Rs 1.5 million. The model has been on 40 foreign visits and has a business visa for the UAE. The model also has a company AAZI setup in the Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone in Dubai. The FBR states Ayyan paid AED 6,000 to establish this company in order to obtain visas for her close relatives.
