Probe into pay phone scam resumes

The committee probing pay phone scam has resumed investigation against suspected senior officials of customs and excise group involved in issuance of illegal excise duty refund to payphone companies.
Sources told Business Recorder on Thursday that some of the suspended officials have submitted their written reply on the allegations made by the committee comprising Collector of Customs, Rawalpindi and Member Technical, Customs, Excise and Sales Tax Appellate Tribunal, Lahore.
The FBR strongly pursuing the committee to complete the investigation without further delay. The committee has been given deadline of 23 days for completion of inquiry, but months have passed without any visible progress. The board is already considering changing the members on inquiry committee on the directive of Prime Minister''s Secretariat.
The inquiry was held in abeyance in the light of a Sindh High Court in favour of Sheraz Ahmed, suspended tax official, who is presently at the disposal of Sindh government. In another case, committee had stopped investigation against Nadir Khan Hoti, suspended collector, sales tax and federal excise, Peshawar. The committee has also directed Muhammad Nazim Saleem, collector, (under suspension) to explain that how the judgement of Peshawar High Court would also be applicable in his case.
Recently, the committee has informed Sheraz that the stay order of Sindh High Court has expired on October 31, 2007. The official should appear before the committee to submit any extension in stay order by the court. In case of no response, committee would initiate disciplinary proceedings against him under Removal from Services Ordinance. The committee had given November 19 as deadline for submitting response to the allegations.
Sources said that the board has yet to recover over Rs 230 million adjudicated amount from the payphone companies. This included principal amount of tax, default surcharge and penalties/fine. The Collectorate of Sales Tax and Federal Excise, Lahore had adjudicated the case against the payphone companies. However, the payphone companies have filed appeal before the concerned collector appeals against the decision of adjudication authorities.
The committee was investigating cases against Muhammad Nazim Saleem, collector, (under suspension); Nadir Khan Hoti, collector (under suspension), Collectorate of Sales Tax and Federal Excise, Peshawar; Asim Majid Khan, additional collector (under suspension), LTU, Lahore; Dr Naeem Aijaz Quershi, additional collector (under suspension), Collectorate of Sales Tax and Federal Excise; Zeba Hai Azhar, additional collector, Large Taxpayer Unit (LTU), Lahore; Muhammad Saeed Watto, deputy collector (under suspension) Sales Tax and Federal Excise and Ms Sameera Sheikh, deputy collector, Collectorate of Customs, Lahore.