NAB Sukkur conducting inquiry into food scam

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau, Sukkur, is conducting an inquiry into a food scam in which the regional bureau of the NAB Sukkur has already recovered Rs 10.612 billion from the accused.

Some cotton ginners were called due to their involvement in food cases, who entered into plea bargains amounting to Rs 160,615,975 and Rs 15,786,098 and confessed to their guilt before an accountability court.

The allegations against M/s Faqeer Cotton Factory Ghotki were misappropriation of government wheat. The NAB Sukkur has denied all allegations leveled by the Pakistan Cotton and Ginners Association, saying that it is part of a malicious propaganda to malign the working of the NAB Sukkur and to exert undue pressure on the NAB regarding ongoing official proceedings against the corrupt elements.

Further, the NAB Sukkur unearthed a network of Food Department and other government officials allegedly involved therein. The network has been operating since 2016 in an organized manner and at a large scale.

The network consisted of flour mill owners, middlemen, lower and top brass of Food Department and others. To expose the illegal activities of the network, the NAB Sukkur has initiated a probe as per law in district Ghotki.

The owner of M/s Shehnshah Flour Mill was arrested and during the course of investigation, the record revealed that the flour mill owners collected a huge amount of money from the flour mill owners of district Ghotki under the pretext of getting relief from Food minister, secretary Food, director Food, deputy director Food and district Food controller. The collected money for the public office-holders by both individuals is approximately more than one billion rupees. The relaxation to mill owners was given in four ways.

Firstly, the mill owners got undue relief in issuance of Bardana to few flour mill owners instead of real growers. Secondly, the Food Department gave relief illegally by declaring flour mills, cotton mills and rice mills as PRCs instead of reserving wheat at government-owned godowns.

Thirdly, the mill owners got relief unlawfully in relaxation of payment in 180 days under the garb of credit policy. Fourthly, the Food Department with mala fide intentions gave relief to the owners of flour mills and cotton factories to sell government wheat kept at their mills.

The cronies of Mahesh Kumar and Ashok Kumar who collected money from various flour mill owners, cotton factories and rice mills are still at large. On the revelation of arrested accused namely Ashok Kumar, owner of Shehnshah Flour Mill (key member of network), accused Abdul Rasheed Chachar, inspector Food Department Ghotki, was arrested.

The span of investigation has been enhanced to conclude the cases in a logical manner under the policy of zero tolerance against corruption to make Pakistan corruption-free.