Sugarcane subsidy scam: Two more accused file acquittal pleas under 256-K CrPC

ISLAMABAD: Two more accused of sugarcane subsidy scam on Wednesday filed acquittal applications under 256-K Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

The Accountability Court-III judge, Syed Asghar Ali, while hearing misappropriation in the government subsidy awarded for sugarcane growers’ reference adjourned hearing and sought reply from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after two accused, Ghulam Mustafa and Faraz Ahmed filed acquittal applications. The court adjourned the case till March 22.

The NAB prosecutor, Waseem Javed, appeared before the court.

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, Nimra 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 Rs 3.9 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, Nimra Majeed, Mustafa Zulqarnain Majeed, and Ali Kamal Majeed.

The investigation revealed that out of Rs 728.18 million subsidy granted to eight sugar mills of Omni Group, an amount of Rs 346 million had been allegedly misappropriated, in connivance with senior employees by showing their low-paid staff as sugarcane growers.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022