‘Rs560 million fraud’

KARACHI:

The Sindh Excise and Taxation Department has embezzled nearly Rs560 million within the past year, revealed the Anti-Corruption Cell (ACC) Director Mumtaz Burni during a press conference on Monday.

When the ACC asked the department for a clarification, they were told that ‘it’s just a mix-up of some old records.’ Burni said it took nearly eight months to get all the excise department’s records, since they were reluctant to hand them over. The cell discovered that a major chunk of the money was being embezzled using motor-vehicle registrations by putting dubious stamps on tax papers. While the stamped papers go to the banks, the money ‘goes to some officers at the excise and taxation department.’

Burni identified one of the culprits as Noor Muhammad Udhano. “He used to make fake registration papers for stolen cars and then resold them. Now he is at a prominent post at the excise department.”  The ACC arrested two people involved in handing out fake documents, added Burni but he did not reveal any names.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 15^th, 2011.