Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior and Accountability Barrister Mirza Shahzad Akbar has said that the accountability of own people (Jahangir Tareen) is the most painful but absolutely essential process and that the ongoing probe into sugar scam is not person-specific.
Addressing a news conference on Saturday, the PM’s aide said, "It is painful to question your own but it is the right thing to do … We can't create hurdles in the accountability process."
Akbar said the ongoing sugar scam probe was not person-specific as nobody was being favoured, targeted or protected in the investigations being conducted in light of the sugar commission report endorsed by the federal cabinet and superior judiciary.
Akbar said the investigations are being conducted against the accused persons irrespective of their affiliations, vowing strict action against those involved in the sugar crisis and price hike through speculation.
Also read: FIA books Jahangir Tareen, son for Rs3.25bn financial embezzlement
“The government has determined Rs80 per kilo as ex-mill price of sugar for the first time in the history,” he said, adding that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh had been directed to notify ex-mill prices of sugar.
“The Sindh government is being contacted to notify the price. However, the federal government will notify the ex-mill prices in case the Sindh government fails to do so.”
To a question, he said, “I've personal reservations over 15 to 20 per cent extra profit offered to manufacturers in the ex-mill price.”
He announced that the ex-mill prices of sugar would be determined every year.
“The government has received a report that the speculators are planning to further enhance the sugar prices by Rs20 to Rs30 per kilo during Ramazan,” he said, adding that the investigations have revealed that 16 major WhatsApp groups were working across the country to determine the prices of sugar.
“A man neither a broker nor a supplier determines the price of sugar through manipulations. Investigations have revealed that the sugar manufacturers are also taking pecuniary benefits from the speculative prices determined by WhatsApp groups.”
Read more: Tareen questions ‘hype’ surrounding his sugar mills
The FIA Lahore zone has registered 10 FIRS against these WhatsApp speculators, he added.
Giving details, he said there were 464 personal accounts of 40 major speculators having turnout of Rs106 billion during this season.
The current balance in these accounts, which have been frozen, is Rs320 million.
The sugar commission report recommended investigations against nine major companies.
He said the first FIR was registered against Ramzan Sugar Mills on charges of money laundering over Rs25 billion through fake Benami accounts and later extracting it in the form of cash.
In the case, Shehbaz Sharif and his sons were nominated. Investigation is under way. Suleman Shehbaz has already been declared proclaimed offender.
Another FIR has been registered against the JDW Group on charges of Rs4.35 billion money laundering.
The challan would be submitted in the relevant court on completion of investigations. Another investigation related to the JDW is being conducted over allegations of Rs3.14 billion money laundering.
The third FIR regarding Rs2.2 billion money laundering and corporate fraud charges had been registered against the JDW.
#Live: Advisor to PM on Accountability & Interior @ShazadAkbar addressing a news conference in Islamabad https://t.co/0MIepMcJea
— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) April 3, 2021
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