Benami transactions probe: IRS officials foil blackmailing bid by tax evaders' gang

Inland Revenue Service (IRS) officials of the Regional Tax Office (RTO), Faisalabad have foiled an attempt of a powerful tax evaders' gang headed by a yarn merchant of Faisalabad, who tried to blackmail a senior tax official, deputed to investigate Benami transactions worth billions of rupees.
Sources told Business Recorder here on Thursday that a high profile case of Benami transactions resulted into a direct clash between the IRS officials and the punters of organized gang who attacked the RTO building about less than 2 weeks back. FIRs have been registered against the attackers under Anti-Terrorist Act, who forcefully entered the premises of the RTO to make videos of the office to blackmail the tax officials.
The whole episode gives a clear and loud message of the powerful tax evaders that the tax department can not teach lesson to the powerful mafias, who think that by blackmailing and harassment they can stop investigations against them. This is an eye opener for all Pakistanis that powerful tax evaders at the last moment failed to implement a plan chalked out to blackmail a tax official by making bogus video of honest tax officials showing that they are involved in corrupt practices for the purpose of blackmailing and harassing them.
Details of the case revealed that an extraordinary incident took place at the RTO Faisalabad when writ of the government was challenged by a gang operated by a yarn merchant of 'sutar mandi". The details of the incident revealed that the Directorate of Intelligence Inland Revenue FBR collected information about the Benami transactions to the tune of billions by a famous yarn merchant of Faisalabad commonly known as 'king of yarn business' or 'BOHLA' (innocent). The directorate of intelligence IR received credible information that the yarn merchant has been actively engaged in operating different bank accounts which were in the names of his drivers, servants and poor relatives. The son of the yarn merchant plays key role in carrying out Benami transactions to the tune of billions of rupees. The agency analyzed the bank's data and found that Benami bank accounts have been opened in the names of drivers and poor workers of yarn merchant and their computerized national identity card numbers (CNICs) have been used for carrying out such transactions. It has been found that billions of rupees of bank's transactions are taking place on regular basis, evading tax huge amount of tax.
The directorate of intelligence IR referred the case to the RTO Faisalabad for carrying out detailed investigation against so-called 'BOHLA'. RTO Faisalabad assigned the case to an honest official ie Muhammad Saleem Additional Commissioner Zone-II, RTO Faisalabad. The official started collecting information about the Benami banks transactions from the local banks and collected vital information about the scam. The official also asked the local banks braches to explain that how transactions of billions is taking place on the banks accounts of poor people and nobody is checking such Benami-transactions. During this process, some informers gave information to the gang that an official of the RTO is collecting information about Benami transactions from various bank's braches located within the jurisdiction of the RTO Faisalabad. It was shocking for the gang that someone is seriously investigating their Benami transactions as earlier nobody has ever dared to talk about the activities of 'BOHLA'
Taking strong exception of the ongoing investigation against the biggest mafia of Faisalabad, the gangsters first tried to politically pressurise the tax official. Responding to the pressure, the concerned official expedited investigation against the mafia which further shocked the entire gang in Faisalabad. When the mafia found that the political pressure is not working, they made another attempt to bribe him and started giving him threatening phone calls. Even this does not work to their expectations and the mafia finally gave him life threats. All such threats failed to stop the tax officials from carrying out the investigation against the mafia involved in Benami-transactions.
The mastermind of the gang finally made a plan to blackmail the tax official by making fake videos of his office with bottles of liquor and obscene material. Under the plan, the gang comprising 14-15 persons along with crewmembers of a local channel would suddenly attack the RTO Faisalabad office and place such material in his office. Prior to this, another tax official would call him in his office so that the gangsters could freely put liquor and other material in his office and make video to blackmail him. In the absence of the official, it would be easy for them to make any kind of video of the room of the tax official. The whole RTO Faisalabad was surprised that why such a large number of suspicious persons are roaming hither and thither in the RTO building along with television cameras. When the attackers were placing the obscene material in the office of the official, a sales tax auditor started making video of the persons who were placing such material in the office of the Additional Commissioner. The attackers started beating the auditor, who was making video of the gang making an attempt to blackmail the tax official. As the 12-14 attackers start beating the auditor, the whole RTO gathered and intercepted to save the auditor from the clutches of the attackers, the officers of the RTO Faisalabad locked the attackers including cameramen in a room and gave the deserving treatment to the attackers. The staff of the RTO was so angry that they broke the cameras of the attackers and immediately called the police. Later, the police registered FIRs against the attackers and also took these persons into their custody. The police was initially reluctant to file an FIR against the attackers due to backing of powerful mafia behind the culprits. However, later the police registered the FIR against the attackers with the provisions of the Anti-Terrorist Act.
Some officials of the RTO Faisalabad tried to transfer the case of Benami transactions from the concerned official. However, the directorate of intelligence IR intercepted and stopped the RTO from taking away the case from the honest tax official. Due to seriousness of the issue, the Directorate of Intelligence Investigation Inland Revenue FBR has directed the regional office of the directorate of intelligence IR to monitor the case on regular basis. The case would be regularly monitored by Additional director Shafi-Ullah Khan Nizai as instructions of the agency has been received by the RTO Faisalabad.
The case has given a lesson to the gangsters and mafias that even planted schemes against the honest tax officials can create serious problems for the those influential groups who try to harass the tax officials, sources added. The incident report of the RTO Faisalabad to the FBR: An incidence took place at RTO/Faisalabad which is reported as follow:
A high profile tax evasion case of Bhola forwarded by FBR/DG (I & I) IR to this RTO for probing was under investigation in the jurisdiction of Muhammad Saleem Additional Commissioner Zone-II, RTO Faisalabad. The case involved lot of benami accounts which related to the above noted taxpayer. The concerned officer called two persons for recording their statements in whose names the benami accounts existed. While he was in the process of recording their statements three persons entered his office at about 2:30 pm and started threatening/abusing Muhammad Saleem and demanded that all proceedings in the case be closed forthwith and statements recorded be handed over to them.
After a little while about 14/15 more persons entered the RTO building and went to the room of Muhammad Saleem, Additional Commissioner, Zone-II, RTO Faisalabad and started taking movie shots and also used fowl language against the officer and other staff. They also started beating and auditor of this office. This resulted in fighting among the staff of RTO and attackers. Meanwhile, the Police was called which took over the control. All the attackers were got exited from RTO and a report was sent to the Police for lodging of an FIR against the miscreants. All these attackers turned out to be from a TV channel, who probably were sent by the powerful tax evader against whom proceedings were underway.
Later on the Police reported that the people from a TV Channel had also lodged an application with the Police for registration of FIR against a few officials of the RTO. For the time being, however the situation is under control and any further progress in the matter will be reported to the FBR, incident report of the RTO Faisalabad added.