FIA to summon senior KP officials in sugar scandal

PESHAWAR: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) would summon senior government officials in connection with a probe into the mega sugar scandal to find out as to why the authorities concerned failed to cope with the situation, a source told The News on Sunday.

The source added that the forensic analysis of the laptops and all the documents taken into custody from the mills was also underway. "The FIA team in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is going to summon the Cane Commissioner, Secretary Food and other officials to its office in Peshawar to probe the failure of the authorities in the crisis leading to sugar price-hike," the source said. The Sugar Inquiry Commission headed by DG FIA Wajid Zia is conducting a high-level inquiry along with members from Cyber Crime Wing, Intelligence Bureau, Federal Board of Revenue, Anti-Corruption Establishment, State Bank of Pakistan and audit officers. A total of nine teams have been formed throughout the country after the prime minister tasked the FIA in February to probe the sugar crisis.

"A team headed by Additional Director Mian Saeed Ahmad has conducted inquiry of sugar mills in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The FIA spent two weeks inquiring into all the aspects right from purchase of sugarcane and the manufacturing of sugar and other processes," the source said. The source added the record of a mill that was thoroughly probed is owned by cousins of a top political figure. The FIA team interviewed the management of the mill to know about their role in the crisis.

"The FIA team has taken into custody all the important documents related to the accounts. Laptops have also been seized for forensic analysis by the Cyber Crime team," the source said. The FIA recently sent a probe report about the sugar scandal to Prime Minister Imran Khan. It is being widely discussed in the mainstream and social media.

As per the FIA report, the companies owned by some top political figures benefited from the situation. The investigation report into the wheat crisis has also been sent to the prime minister. It was compiled by a three-member team of the FIA. It is said the poor planning by the federal and provincial governments caused the crisis.