SCCI chief vows action over alleged anomalies

PESHAWAR: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Fuad Ishaq on Thursday accused three employees of the chamber of being involved in corruption and transaction of millions of rupees in their bank accounts through illegal means.

He said this while addressing a news conference here at the Chamber, said a press release. The communication said SCCI Vice-President Ejaz Khan Afridi, executive committee members Muhammad Arshad Siddique, Minhajuddin, Quratul Ain, Affaf Ali Khan, Kashif Amin, Muhammad Ismail Safi, Muhammad Afzal, Zahidullah Shinwari, Hasnain Khurshid, Riaz Arshad, Malik Niaz Ahmad, Zulfiqar Ali Khan, Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, Imran Khan Mohmand, Mansoor Elahi, Malik Imran Ishaq, Saddar Gul, Faiz Rasool, Rashid Iqbal Siddique, Ishtiaq Muhammad, and others were present there.

The SCCI chief said financial and administrative irregularities were unearthed by the chamber’s IT experts. He said an investigation was underway and vowed to bring all the culprits to justice.

He said an inquiry would be conducted through the Federal Investigation Agency and police, adding cases would be lodged against the accused after completion of internal investigation into the alleged corruption.

Fuad Ishaq alleged that the three accused received Rs50,000 per visa letter instead of the official fixed Rs10,000 while this official visa letter fee — Rs10,000 — wasn’t deposited in the chamber’s account. Similarly, he alleged, fake receipts of E-bills for Afghanistan were prepared and fake bank stamps were put on these receipts.

Fuad Ishaq said there were reports that 13 people with guarantee letters from the SCCI were arrested in Hong Kong by the Chinese authorities. He said the matter was reported to the government through the Interior Ministry on which FIA had written a letter to the chamber. He said SCCI had written to the Chinese ambassador and FPCCI president to seek a joint meeting to resolve the matter and ensure transparency in visa letter issuance and eradicate fakeness forever.

To a question, he said one SCCI employee in question had been terminated as per the decision of the executive committee, another suspended and the third one had resigned due to alleged involvement in the scandal.