Porsche Pakistan denies fraud allegations

ISLAMABAD: Porsche Pakistan, a franchise of the German automobile manufacturer, has denied fraud allegations made by a customer in Lahore, saying the claims were "misleading and irresponsible", Geo News reported.

In a statement issued this week, Porsche Pakistan said the allegations of fraudulent car bookings were untrue and that its chief executive officer (CEO) "does not owe any sum of money as claimed" in the news reports.

"All payments were received by Performance Automotive Pvt Ltd. (Porsche Pakistan) against vehicle bookings under legal contracts on behalf of Porsche AG as their appointed representative," the statement read. The car dealer, in its explanatory statement, also accused Porsche AG, the parent company, of illegally refusing to supply vehicles to its Pakistani consumers for two years, alleging that it was "an attempt to bankrupt and discredit Porsche Pakistan".

"The eventual aim [was] to transfer the business to an influential and controversial business group with which a prearrangement was concluded by the regional office of Porsche AG (Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE)," it claimed.

Porsche Pakistan further maintained that it had legally challenged its parent company at all forums available in Pakistan and "since mid-2020 filed an arbitration against Porsche AG at London Court of International Arbitration". It was expecting conclusion "in the coming weeks", it added. On the other hand, police said Performance Automotive Pvt Ltd's owner, Syed Abuzar Bokhari, has been accused of setting up a centre under the name "Performance Limited", receiving tens of millions of rupees for booking Porsche vehicles for its customers, and closing down the business.

At least seven different cases have been registered against Bokhari, Lahore police added. Porsche cars are among the most expensive ones in the world, with prices ranging from Rs35 million to Rs90 million. The luxury vehicles are equipped with the latest technology, with smart and elegant interior and exterior.

One of the complainants against Bokhari, Mian Mohammad Ali Moeen, has approached the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for help in recovering the Rs5 million he had paid in advance for a Porsche Taycan to Performance Automotive Pvt Ltd in January 2020, a local newspaper reported.

The publication quoted a senior police official as saying the suspect may have left the country. Lahore police have sought the assistance of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for Bokhari's arrest, the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, added.

Interestingly, however, people have started to question the existence of Porsche Pakistan, noting that the clarification it had issued "raises more questions than it answers" and that the parent company had removed its page on Pakistan with details of Bokhari. No statement was available on the social media accounts — including Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook — of Performance Automotive Pvt Ltd (Porsche Pakistan).