ISLAMABAD: Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has ordered to conduct an investigation against criminal gang involved in openly selling non-custom paid products in connivance with some Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) employees, causing huge loss of revenue.
It is reliably learnt that on the basis of public interest complaint lodged by tax lawyer Waheed Shahzad Butt, FTO has ordered the Chairman FBR to conduct an investigation with the help of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other agencies and submit a detailed report within one month.
When contacted international human rights activist and constitutional lawyer Muhammad Azhar Siddique, who is representing the complainant before the FTO, told this correspondence that complainant requests the FTO to intervene to uphold the integrity and stature of the FTO to check huge revenue loss under the garb of smuggled/ non-custom paid products fraudulently sold to the general public through some micro finance bank accounts.
Azhar further added a very strange activity on the part of FBR with active connivance of some FBR personnel in collaboration with said financial institutions, as well as, through using Mobile Phone SIM Cards.
Apparently, the SIM cards were fraudulently issued in the names of some illiterate persons having rural background. The biometric verification was misused. In this regard, a request was forwarded for appropriate strict lawful action (including detailed investigation, arrest and punishment of culprits and recovery of lawful taxes from the fraudster gangs) to be taken against the real mastermind/ culprits to save the innocents citizens of Pakistan and protect the interest of National Exchequer.
The said activity, among others, comprises issuance of fake sales tax invoices, selling non-custom paid products through various fake bank accounts by craftily and deliberately misusing the data/particulars of innocent illiterate citizens of Pakistan, unfortunately, without their knowledge, consent and approval, and, thereafter, thereby looting life time savings of innocent persons through aforesaid fraudulently opened microfinance bank accounts. Subsequent to the preliminary in-house investigation and successful completion of a Sting Operation, certain persons/fraudsters gangs have been unearthed.
FTO order stated “Whereas the above mentioned complaint was filed on 11.03.2024 by the complainant, alleging blunt violation of FBR Act, 2007 for not initiating lawful action against criminal gang involved in cheating the national exchequer, openly selling non-custom paid products, obviously with active/passive connivance of some FBR/ Customs/ IRS tax employees thereby causing huge loss to the public exchequer (customs duty, income tax, sales tax, etc) & sting operation completed to unmask the fraudsters’ gang but meaningful silence maintained by FBR & other agencies/ departments.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024