Chairman, Bawan Shah Group of companies, Raja Muhammad Zaraat is trying to create a media hype in order to malign the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), influence public opinion and to give a political cover to the purely corruption cases against him, the spokesman of the NAB said here on Thursday.
NAB received the information regarding huge assets possessed by a former clerk of Customs Department, exceeding his known sources of income in March 2005, the NAB spokesman said in a statement issued here on Thursday.
"On this information chairman NAB ordered an inquiry on March 25, 2005 to determine the sources of his assets. It was found during investigation that Raja Zaraat owns assets worth Rs 5 million which he could not reasonably explain. Therefore, he submitted an application for voluntary return of Rs 5 million, which was accepted and the accused paid the said amount through demand draft No 404937 drawn on Soneri Bank Ltd Karachi in August 2005", he said, adding that by entering in a plea bargain Raja Zaraat accepted his guilt and paid the irregularly accumulated amount of Rs 5 million.
"Raja made statements that the reference was filed against him to bar him from taking part in Senate elections in 2006", he said, adding that the NAB discovered his links with some exporting firms where irregularities were taking place. After this inquiry Customs Intelligence lodged an FIR and challan against Raja Zaraat in the court of Special Judge of customs and taxation Karachi, which was later transferred to Accountability Court for disposal under the law.
It was also found during the inquiry that Raja Zaraat had registered eight companies with the Income Tax and Sales Tax Department while he was neither a genuine manufacturer nor a commercial exporter/importer.
Five cases of mis-declaration detected by Customs Intelligence and filed in the Customs Court were transferred to NAB Karachi in March 2007 and became references later, while sixth reference was filed on 7.8.2007 by NAB against Zaraat for obtaining illegal sales tax refund, NAB spokesman said.
He said that the NAB issued notices for investigation in eight more cases in relation to inadmissible refund of sales tax and Customs rebate by Raja Zaraat and prepared references for filing in the Accountability Court.
The NAB has gone to the Supreme Court by way of leave to appeal against the order dated 30.1.08 of the Sindh High Court which had been passed without hearing NAB's point of view. This CPLA is still pending, he said.
It may be stated the new references were taken to the Accountability Court for filing but were brought back upon application by NAB awaiting determination of the NAB's petition before the Supreme Court. The SC was duly informed and the matter with regard to the main petition has since been fixed for hearing on several occasions and adjourned from time to time.
The accused is presently on bail granted by the Sindh High Court and SC in different petitions. Twelve accused persons have opted for voluntary return while admitting their involvement in the scam and returned Rs 16.3275 million.
The allegation of Raja Zaraat that the NAB officials misuse their authority because they receive a share in the recovered money is totally baseless. NAB officials receive their regular monthly emoluments as per Government rules. CBR officials have also filed application for being made party in CPLA in the Supreme Court.
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