Sugarcane subsidy scam: Accused say case does not fall in jurisdiction of NAB, accountability court

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability (Second Amendment) Ordinance 2021 has 'disrupted' the proceedings on corruption references before accountability courts as like other accused in fake accounts cases on Monday, most of the accused in misappropriation in the government subsidy awarded for sugarcane growers' scam challenged the case against them under the Second Amendment Ordinance.

The accused, in sugarcane subsidy scam, filed separate application before Accountability Court-III judge Syed Asghar Ali under the National Accountability (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2021. The Accountability Court had fixed Monday-October 25 for framing charges against the accused of the case but the court deferred indictment after the defence counsel filled a separate application. The defence counsels told the court that charges could not be framed against the accused after the promulgation of the National Accountability (second amendment) Ordinance 2021.

They said that the case does not come under the jurisdiction of the NAB and the Accountability Court. The court sought comments from the NAB and the defence counsel, and adjourned hearing of the case till December 12. The NAB has nominated 40 accused in the reference.

The bureau filed the reference against the accused over charges of embezzlement of millions of funds issued by the government of Sindh to sugar mills as a subsidy for onward payment to sugarcane farmers.

The accused, in the case, include Abdul Ghani Majeed, Khawaja Mustafa Zulqarnain, and others. The court had already declared Ali Kamal Majeed, Nimr Majeed, Manahil Majeed, and Saima Majeed, proclaimed offender over their failure to join the trial in the case.

The Sindh government through provincial cane commissioner paid Rs3.9 billion to various sugar mills for onward payment to genuine sugarcane growers as subsidy on account of supply of sugarcane for the season 2014-2015. An investigation was conducted against eight sugar mills owned by the Omni Group of Anwar Majeed, and his four sons, Abdul Ghani Majeed, Nimr Majeed, Mustafa Zulqarnain Majeed, and Ali Kamal Majeed.

The investigation revealed that out of Rs728.18 million subsidy granted to eight sugar mills of Omni Group, an amount of Rs346 million had been allegedly misappropriated, in connivance with senior employees by showing their low-paid staff as sugarcane growers.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021