PESHAWAR: The Customs Appraisers and Superintendents held on the charges of corruption at the Dryport Peshawar by the National Accountability Bureau revealed further wrongdoings.
The record reflects that accused importers entered into agreement with Al-Khair Metal Trading, FZC Sharjah, UAE, in 2015 for import of the vehicle mounted construction machinery.
The investigation divulged that the LC amounting to $3200000 was opened by the accused importer through J/S Bank Karachi in 2015 having a validity period of one year in order to import the said construction machinery.
The Import Policy order (IPO) 2013 was applicable at that time which allows the import of construction machinery. The Import Policy Order (IPO) 2013 was applicable at that time which allowed the import of five-year-old machinery.
Contrary to that, the Ministry of Commerce issued IPO 2016 which changed the conditions of the import of the said machinery as not older than five years. The expiry date of the LC was 2016 but illegally extended by the official of JS Bank Karachi for another 12 months in violations of the chapter 13 para 9 (2) of the Foreign Exchange Manual.
The Customs Department was not able to take action on the base of departmental inquiry due to a stay order brought by accused Deputy Collector Athar Naveed. Investigation conducted so far reflects that consignments were imported through Karachi Seaport and then the same were transported all the way to Peshawar Dryport despite the fact that the importer was Karachi based but the consignments were cleared from Dryport Peshawar. It clearly depicts the connivance of the said firm with the accused officers of the Customs Dryport Peshawar.
Now the ball is in the courts of law to decide the fate of accused officers including Deputy Collector Athar Naveed, Appraisers Abdul Hadi, Shahid Akbar along with others for causing the exchequer a loss of billions.
It was further surfaced that an order dated 08.11.2017 has been passed by the adjudicating authority regarding the confiscation of the machinery cleared and seized with penalty imposed equaling to three times of the value of the goods which had been illegally cleared under the supervision of Deputy Collector, Appraisers and Superintendents of the Customs Dryport Peshawar.
