ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Sindh has taken the notice of an “unlawful” probe initiated by Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Sindh in agriculture tractors subsidy scheme.
In a letter to Chairman ACE, Sindh, Additional Director (Staff) NAB, Rawalpindi, Saleem Ahmad Khan, stated that NAB has undertaken an inquiry on the cognizance of the offence committed by the accused person under the provision of the NAO, 1999 in pursuance of the directions of Supreme Court of Pakistan order of January 17, 2019. The letter states that during the proceedings of the investigation, it has been revealed that Anti-Corruption Establishment, Sindh, has initiated a “discreet” inquiry regarding “corruption” in subsidy of ADP under tractor scheme (phase-III) and has also sought record from the Agriculture Engineering Department, Hyderabad.
According to NAB, Rawalpindi, the matter was not only communicated to the Anti-Corruption Establishment but it has also acknowledged it, and stated to have conducted no probe regarding phase-III of Sindh tractor subsidy scheme, pertaining to period 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2016-17.
NAB Rawalpindi has drawn the attention of Chairman ACE, Sindh towards the Section 18(d) of the NAO, 1999, which reads as follows:- the responsibility for an inquiry into and investigation of an offence alleged to have been committed under this Ordinance shall rest on the NAB to the exclusion of any other agency or authority, unless any such agency or authority is required to do so by the Chairman NAB or by an officer of the NAB duly authorized by him.
NAB, Rawalpindi, has sought details and scope of the present probe in order to proceed further under the relevant provision of law.
NAB’s spokesperson told Business Recorder that the Government of Sindh had launched four different subsidy schemes in the year 2013 to 2016 (Phase-III) for providing subsidized tractors to farmers in Sindh through Agriculture Engineering and Water Management, Hyderabad. During the schemes, M/s Orient Automotive Industries (Pvt) Ltd a holding company of OMNI Group, provided 2993x tractors and received Rs.793.5 million from the Government of Sindh as subsidy.
An Investigation was authorized on the directions of Supreme Court in the fake accounts cases by the competent authority on 18.09.2020 under National Accountability Ordinance 1999 and is under progress in the NAB Rawalpindi office.
However, investigation “revealed” that in fact OMNI Group and the officials of Agriculture Engineering Department of Government of Sindh, in connivance with M/s Orient Automotive Industries (Pvt) Ltd, its Directors, employees and authorized tractor dealers, with “mala fide intent”, issued “fake” delivery of tractors in the name of “fake” farmers, attached “bogus” land ownership documents and made “fake” photo sessions demonstrating to have delivered the tractors to the successful farmers, in the Workshops of Agriculture Department of Sindh. This collusion of government officials with the accused company resulted in the issuance of a claim subsidy amount for the delivered tractors, which the accused company in connivance with the tractor dealers sold within and out of Sindh at profit. The accused Engineers of Agriculture Department have “illegally” signed on more than 550x fake delivery orders of tractors in the name of “fake” farmers, causing a loss of millions of rupees to the national exchequer.
The investigation also revealed that the accused persons have sold the tractors meant for the farmers of Sindh to people residing in other provinces and claimed subsidy on the basis of fake documents. They received and laundered the crime proceeds in their different bank accounts which was from tractors’ dealers belonging to other provinces.
According to NAB, the arrested Dealer Ghulam Sarwar illegally received more than 450x tractors (brand: - IMT) whereas the accused Tara Chand received more than 250x tractors (Brand: - IMT), from the agriculture department in connivance with its officials in the name of “fake” farmers and sold the tractors in open market at profit by causing loss of approximately Rs.112.5 million and Rs.62.5 million to the national exchequer, respectively. The subsidy granted for various tractors scheme is in billions and investigation is in progress.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021