LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday launched an inquiry into a ‘mega sugar scandal’ involving billions of rupees in losses to the national treasury.
NAB DG Lahore assembled a team to conduct immediate investigations, focusing on Sheikh Rashid, Kashif, and Faisal. The inquiry is already underway.
The main suspect Sheikh Rashid along with his partners is under direct investigation for allegedly embezzling substantial sums from sugar dealers and traders.
A NAB spokesperson stated that four warehouses owned by Sheikh Rashid in Sadiqabad were used to store sugar stocks. He said these warehouses and associated shops have been sealed following orders from the DG NAB.
Previously, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) had deployed special teams to monitor sugar mills across Pakistan to prevent tax evasion.
An FBR spokesperson mentioned that field formation teams were stationed in sugar mills nationwide to oversee production, sales, clearance, stock, and other activities. The statement emphasized that sugar is a monitored commodity, and a tax stamp is mandatory on each sack.
Violations of the tax stamp requirement could result in the seizure of the entire stock and a three-year imprisonment for the offenders.
The bureau declared that any attempts at sales tax evasion on sugar would be met with stringent measures, and legal actions would be taken against mill owners found guilty of such activities.
