NAB decides to launch CV: TV channels accused of causing harm to exchequer | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

NAB decides to launch CV: TV channels accused of causing harm to exchequer

ISLAMABAD: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Admiral Fasih Bokhari (Retd) while presiding over an executive board meeting here on Wednesday, decided to launch complaint verification (CV) against private TV channels.

According to a NAB press release, it has been reported that private TV channels deduct 15 percent sales tax from advertising agencies, but they don’t deposit the same in the national exchequer, committing fraud and causing damage to the exchequer amounting to billions of rupees.

In another case, the board authorised the initiation of a complaint verification against Sardar Fateh Ali Umrani, ex-provincial Minister and District Nazim Naseerabad. The accused persons are accused of occupying illegally 30,000 acres of state land for the last 40 to 50 years in Tehsil Tambo, District Naseerabad.

In a case against UNAICO Pakistan Pvt Ltd, the board decided to transfer Complaint/Investigation from FIA to NAB under provision of section 18(d) of NAO 1999. In the case, the accused were allegedly involved in accepting amounts from general public in a ponzi scheme amounting to Rs 32 million.

The company was involved in dubious and suspicious activities like Multilevel Marketing and Pyramid Schemes, through offering membership to general public against hefty amount of Euro 149 to 2000 as so-called membership fee. The board decided to close inquiries against Abdul Majeed Umrani, Manager NBP Usta Muhammad Branch, Syed Waqar-ul-Hussain Shah Bukhari, ex-District and Sessions Judge and others and Tahir Basharat Cheema, ex-Executive Engineer Wapda, due to lack of incriminating evidences. The accused in all the three cases were accused of accumulating assets beyond known sources of income.

The board also decided to close investigation in a case against Dawood Ahmed, Ex-Chairman Habib National Co-operative Society Ltd (HNCSL) and other Directors of HNCSL, due to lack of incriminating evidence. The accused were accused of illegal banking practices and embezzlement of Co-operative Finance Corporation (CFC) funds amounting to Rs 23.834 million, out of the Prime Minister Relief Package (PMRP).

In another case of wilful loan default of Rs 1500.732 million against Directors/Guarantors/ Mortgagors of M/s Mekran Fisheries Ltd, the board decided to close the investigation as the accused persons have paid off their liabilities of Rs 1500.732 million.

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