KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has directed the customs officers, who were charged for corruption in vehicle amnesty scheme, to submit their replies by September 10, 2014.
FBR Member Administration Shahid Jatoi has charge-sheeted 25 officers from BPS-17 to BPS-20, including Dr Zulfiqar Malik, the then collector appraisement, Sarfaraz Warraich, the then collector at Sambrial and Dr Naeem Ejaz Qureshi, the then collector in Faisalabad.
The board has also directed the collectorates to assist the accused in preparing replies and coordinate all record and data pertaining to the scam.
On the other hand, Chief Collector Nasir Masroor has been asked to submit a report in the case while Wasif Memon will submit his findings to the member administration in this regard.
It is to be recalled that the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) took a suo moto action against serious irregularities in the clearance of vehicles under the amnesty scheme. The FTO took the action on information that under the amnesty scheme, the customs authorities had cleared those vehicles which had not even landed at any collectorates across the country.
All vehicles under the scheme were cleared at 11 collectorates while the highest level of irregularities were found at Collectorate of Appraisement Karachi followed by Sambrial and Faisalabad collectorates.
It is to be noted that the government launched Vehicle Amnesty Scheme through SRO 172(I)/2013 on March 5, 2013 to legalize smuggled or non-duty paid vehicles.
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