Urea bags worth Rs15.4m missing from TCP Landhi warehouse

KARACHI: Over 11,400 bags of urea worth Rs15.4 million are missing from TCP Landhi warehouse. This was revealed in an FIR lodged by Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) against its officials and 12 transporters in FIA Corporate Crime Circle (CCC), Karachi.

Consequent upon the inquiry no 16/2018, FIA, CCC, Karachi, has registered a case on the written complaint of TCP Deputy General Manager against TCP’s then general manager and others regarding the missing of 11,416 bags (570.80 MT) of urea from the TCP Landhi Godown Karachi.

During the course of investigation, it came on record that a quantity of 123,913 metric ton imported urea was stored at TCP Landhi Godown during the period from September 2009 to December 2009.

Furthermore, a committee was made to reconcile the stock at Landhi Godown Karachi. The committee vide its report dated 06.03.2010 unearthed the fraudulent shortage of bags (570.80 MT) of urea on the said godown of TCP. The worth of the said urea was calculated at Rs15.411 million.

It also came on record that the then General Manager Dispatch Operation Division TCP, along with the then Director Commercial (DC-II), of TCP and the then Manager/General Manager Dispatch Operation Division TCP were found responsible in this illicit activity in connivance with the owners of transport carriage companies as they allocated the work for shifting of urea from Port to the TCP Landhi Godown to the selected transporters against the rates approved for transportation of wheat operation in 2007-2008 illegally.

The bills of transporters were fraudulently processed and passed by divisional heads operation division without proper scrutiny and deduction of the shortage claim amount from transporters against the damaged bags delivered by these transporters at Landhi Godown Karachi.

Similarly, the then General Manager DOD TCP, without following the transparent procedure illegally awarded the quota to the selected contractors for the transportation of 123,920 500MT imported urea from port to TCP Landhi Godowns for getting undue personal gains.

Moreover the FIR said that Incharge Landhi Godown TCP, reported regarding damaged bags but the then General Manager DOD TCP, along with Ex-General Manager, TCP deliberately violated agreements clause No 4 (i) illegally approved the bills of transporters, amounting to Rs54,463,244 without deduction of damages/short cargo/ torn bags, caused huge loss to national exchequer.

The TCP officers/officials deliberately obeyed the illegal directions of the then Director Commercial for unloading of urea bags at Landhi Godown without weightage and approval from the competent authority. Even the bills of contractors, who made short delivery of 150 bags and 500 bags, respectively were also cleared illegally without proper scrutiny and deduction of short number of bags delivered.

Therefore, it has been established that accused TCP officials in connivance with other officials of TCP and contractor misappropriated around 11,416 bags of urea, caused loss of Rs15.411 million to the government exchequer, the document said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021