Payphone companies scam probe: committee reluctant to render report

The inquiry committee to probe payphone companies refunds scam is reluctant to issue final report against the five senior tax officials of Lahore involved in it. Sources told Business Recorder on Tuesday that the committee was deliberately delaying the proceedings due to unknown reasons.
The committee has completed detailed investigation against five tax officials, but it seems that the inquiry body is not interested in submitting its report to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
The committee has completed investigation against Asim Majid Khan, Additional Collector (under suspension), LTU, Lahore; 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.
These suspended officials have submitted their written replies to the allegations framed by the committee comprising Collector of Customs, Rawalpindi and Member Technical, Customs, Excise and Sales Tax Appellate Tribunal, Lahore.
During the course of proceedings, three officials got stay order from different courts. Nadir Khan Hoti, suspended collector, sales tax and federal excise, Peshawar had got stay order from Peshawar High Court. He is facing inquiry on the charges of issuing illegal excise duty refund to the payphone companies.
Muhammad Nazim Saleem, Collector, (under suspension) has also obtained stay order from court regarding on-going proceedings against him in the same case. The inquiry was held in abeyance in the light of a Sindh High Court judgement in favour of Sheraz Ahmed.
The FBR is not strongly persuading the committee to submit its report in the cases where there is no stay. The FBR has not been able to get the stay orders vacated by the court. Recently, the board has hired the services of a senior advocate of Supreme Court of Pakistan for the case pertaining to payphones scam pending in Lahore/Peshawar High Courts.
The committee had to complete investigation within 25 days of the issuance of 'statements of allegations' to the suspended officials. Contrary to this, prolonged delay has been witnessed in the case. The FBR should direct the inquiry committee to submit the final report to punish the involved officials, sources said.