Revenue authority sacks two Customs officials on corruption charges

KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has sacked two officers of Pakistan Customs on the charges of misconduct and inefficiency, official orders said on Friday.
The FBR, in two different notifications, slapped penalties of ‘dismissal from services’ on Naimatullah Alvi, Principal Appraiser (BS-16) posted at Model Customs Collectorate (MCC) Appraisement, Karachi and Sadar Amin Farooqui, Principal Appraiser (BS-16) posted at MCC Exports, Karachi.
The orders came after investigations by teams constituted by the FBR to conduct inquiry into various acts of omission and commission committed by the accused.
The inquiry teams made charge sheets against both the officials, alleging them of corruption in 2011. The officials failed to give satisfactory answers to the teams.
With the latest dismissal, the total number of sacked employees has reached nine, including six from Pakistan Customs and three belonging to Inland Revenue Service since January 02, 2015. The FBR, on a number of occasions, announced zero tolerance for corruption and after the current chairman Tariq Bajwa took charge the organisation enhanced monitoring of its officials. Traders have been complaining of corruption in tax departments and customs collectorates. FBR officials openly demand bribe or speed money for resolution of pending issues, they said.
A government official bore out the corruption in the customs department.
“…nothing moves in the customs department without greasing the palm of sepoys (officials)/lappoos (private persons),” said Ramzan Bhatti, chairman of one-man commission constituted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in Karachi law and order case, in his report.
Bhatti is also a member of tax reform commission constituted by the finance minister Ishaq Dar.
Customs officials told The News the officers, including principal appraisers, deputy/assistant collectors, had hired private persons for planning bribe (speed money) by identifying flaws in goods declarations.
“Privately hired persons handle the settlement of goods clearance between customs officials and importer/clearing agent,” said an official.
The history of FBR is tainted with several mega scams, including ISAF containers, bogus sales tax refunds and illegal removal of 50 containers from MCC Port Qasim.
Official sources said the frauds, in all these cases, were not possible without the connivance of FBR officials.
They added the revenue body is working on several other cases of corruption and more orders of dismissal from services are expected.