Anti-corruption team raids excise dept

KARACHI:

The Anti-Corruption Establishment raided the excise and taxation department on Thursday, confiscated thousands of files and detained a few employees.

The action was taken on a tip-off provided by intelligence agencies that the officials of the motor vehicles and registration wing were involved in the registration of smuggled vehicles. "Most of the luxury vehicles smuggled from Afghanistan and other places are being registered at showrooms," said a department official. "The excise and taxation officials don't even bother to physically verify these vehicles and register them," he claimed.

According to officials, a strategy was devised last week to raid the motor vehicles wing. However, some employees of the anti-corruption department leaked this information, which led to information being hidden ahead of the raid. "The anti-corruption establishment chairperson ordered the suspension of his inspector Muhammad Ali Shah, who reportedly leaked the information," said a senior official. Anti-corruption establishment chairperson Mumtaz Ali Shah was unavailable for comments. Meanwhile, the department's director Nazar Muhammad Bozdar insisted there was no raid at Civic Centre.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16^th, 2015.