MULTAN: Collectorate of Customs Adjudication Faisalabad ensures fair assessment of facts during trial of any seizure case by giving full opportunity to respondents for expressing their arguments and evidence in trial and decides every case on merit.
It was stated by Collector Customs Adjudication Dr. Muhammad Adnan Akram while talking exclusively to Customs Today at his Multan Camp office. He said Collectorate of Customs Adjudication is one of the important Collectorates of Customs which deals with contravention, seizure and tax evasion cases after proper trial. The Collectorate concludes seizure cases framed by detecting agency after analyzing presented facts and evidences during trial.
He said that Customs Adjudication Multan Camp Office has recorded exceptional performance by deciding 586 seizure cases of Rs 1394.321 million during financial year 2018-19. Collectorate of Customs Adjudication Multan has provided speedy justice by disposing off highest number of seizure cases after completion of their trial. Customs Adjudication is providing speedy justice to everyone by adjudicating their seizure cases, contraventions and tax evasion cases in time.
He said that Customs Adjudication is bound to complete the trial of any seizure, contravention case within 90 days after the issuance of show cause notice to respondents according to set laws and if the trial of any case has not been completed in given period due to any reason then we apply for extension to Federal Board of Revenue. He said that majority of seizure cases, contravention cases were decided within set time frame due to humble efforts and commitments of Customs Adjudication Multan Camp Office.
He said, “We believe ‘do justice even if heaven falls’ and we keep balance and order in a society through implementation of set laws during trial of seizure cases and it gears towards prosperity and progress. He said that an unjust society cannot even imagine prospering and progressing because it collapses sooner or later due to its unjust order and practices. Detecting agency and investigative officers of Customs should be given regular capacity building training for better prosecution of cases and it will also improve their expertise.
He said Customs Adjudication is bringing public confidence in the Customs laws by giving justice according to law and ‘we decide seizure cases after judgement of forensic analysis of evidence’. He said that seizure cases of vehicles and other miscellaneous smuggled goods are decides on the basis of forensic analysis and it is the scale on which guilt or innocence is judged. He said that forensic science is the apparatus used to inculpate a defendant in any seizure case.
He said adjudicating authority ensures that seized goods and vehicles kept in safe custody and staff of warehouse will not misuse or alter seized goods during their custody and ‘we make surprise inspection of said goods and vehicles for their protection in this regard’.
He said that Collectorate of Adjudication Officers and staff should be given judicial allowance for the advancement of their performance. Customs Adjudication hears cases on merit and after assessing matter of facts for disposal of cases in legal time frame and discourage unnecessary delay in the trial.
