50,000 vehicles cleared under Amnesty Scheme: DGPCA initiates probe against customs officials

The Directorate General of Post Clearance Audit (DGPCA) has initiated inquiry against customs officials, who cleared over 50000 vehicles under ''Vehicle Amnesty Scheme'' in 2013; it is learnt here Tuesday. According to sources, DGPCA has initially served notices on seven customs officials asking them to appear before the probe committee on June 13, 2013 and explain their administrative decisions that were taken during amnesty period to clear 50,000 vehicles.
They said that the department of PCA on the directives of the FBR constituted four teams to determine either duty/taxes was collected as per procedures or these 50,000 vehicles were cleared at short payment of surcharge. Sources said these teams had been assigned a task to assess duty/taxes collected on the clearance of these vehicles under ''Vehicle Amnesty Scheme'', 2013.
Besides that Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation, the FBR has also been ordered to verify the veracity of the information, which revealed that these vehicles were cleared without physical inspection, which was supposed to be mandatory requirement for its clearance.
They said that as per notification issued at that time for regularisation of non-duty paid smuggled vehicles under ''Vehicle Amnesty Scheme'', 2013, motor vehicles having non-tampered engine or chassis numbers, which had been seized or voluntarily presented to customs department, shall not be allowed release without physical inspection and payment of redemption fine along with duty and taxes.
However, applicants, who were required to get physical inspection of the vehicle done for availing tax amnesty, were allowed to regularise their non-duty paid smuggled vehicles without physical inspection. During amnesty period, there were reports that officers posted at car group at that time granted tax amnesty to the smuggled vehicles without physical inspection against undue gains, they maintained.
Sources further said that customs officers were accused for ''under the table settlement'' for allowing tax amnesty to the smuggled vehicles, which were physically not presented in the country during amnesty period. Keeping these reports in view, Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) had taken suo motu action against said malpractice and recommended FBR to conduct PCA of these vehicles after investigation. Now, DGPCA''s teams in order to implement the FTO''s directives have started serving notices to customs officials, sources said.