KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has rejected bail application of Mohammad Adil Ashraf who was allegedly involved in bogus sale tax refunds of Rs 31.3 million. The Customs Court had already rejected his bail application earlier.
A single bench of the SHC, comprising Justice Irfan Sadat Khan, was hearing the bail application. During the hearing, the counsel for the applicant / accused submitted that the applicant is innocent and has falsely implicated in this case. The counsel said that he was never involved in any illegal or criminal activity, therefore, he should be granted bail. However the counsel for the department argued that it has provided sufficient evidences against the accused, the bail application of the applicant had no merit therefore the court should dismiss the bail application. After hearing the arguments from both sides, the court rejected his bail application.
Earlier, the accused had filed a bail application before Customs Court which was dismissed with observation ” Record shows that the applicant / accused setup fake companies at fake addresses to claim fraudulent refunds and to deal fake and flying invoices. During further investigation the record also shows that the accused was operating bogus companies in the name style of M/s Zeenat Impex in connivance with accused Abu Bakar proprietor M/s Abu Bakar Enterprises and others, have jointly, knowingly, dishonesty and fraudulently involved in claiming fake refunds of sales tax on the basis of fake/flying sales tax invoices. The prosecution has called sufficient metrical prima facia connecting the applicant in the offence that the accused company had claimed obtained bogus refunds od sales tax, amounting to Rs31.391 millions, such being one of the white coller crimes which normally committed in planned manner, as such no case for further inquiry has been made out, bail application of accused having no merit is hereby dismissed “.
According to the prosecution, case no ST/AD-A/2014-15/16 was registered by Directorate of Intelligence & Investigation Inland Revenue Karachi under section 2 (37) of the Sale Tax Act 1990.
