KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued bailable warrant of the accused namely Yaqoob Ismail son of Ismail and Altaf Hussain son of Ismail who challenged the impugned judgment of the Customs Court which had awarded them imprisonment for 12 months and to pay fine of Rs 500,000 each and in default of payment of fine would have to undergo further imprisonment for the period of three months in a case of tax evasion to the tune of Rs 10, 511, 043.
A single-member bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhwar, was hearing the appeal of accused. During the hearing, when the matter came up before the court the accused were called absent. The court passed an order to issue bailable warrant against them in the sum of Rs 20, 000.
According to the prosecution, accused persons imported huge quantity of fishing nets having accumulating net weight 89.256 kilograms against fake and tampered documents from customs dry port Hyderabad and evaded duties and taxes in the tune of Rs10, 511, 043.
On November 25, 2009 the Special Judge Customs & Taxation Karachi, Riaz Ahmed Phalphoto had convicted the accused Yaqoob Ismail and Altaf Hussain for 12 months imprisonment and to pay fine of Rs. 500,000 and in default of payment of fine the accused shall undergo further imprisonment for a period of three months.
Accused had challenged that impugned judgment of the custom court Karachi and pleaded the SHC may set aside of impugned judgment, after filing appeal, SHC dated November 28, 2009 had granted them to bail in a sum of Rs. 500,000, however, after getting bail, accused/applicants are not appearing before SHC in last several hearings.
