Peshawar: The Investigation and Prosecution Branch of the Collectorate of Customs (Appraisement), Peshawar, lodged an FIR against Umer Hayyat and Abdul Wakeel for defrauding the Pakistani law enforcement agency.
According to the details, M/s Ajwa Enterprises imported a consignment of PU Coated Fabric against Goods Declaration (GD) Number PAKI-HC-7831. As the consignment was imported by an industrial unit located in the erstwhile FATA/PATA, the importer was entitled to exemption from Sales Tax under Entry No. 151 of the 6th Schedule to the Sales Tax Act, 1990.
Therefore, the importer submitted Pay Order No. 0808501 amounting to Rs. 7,551,125/- against payment of the assessed Sales Tax. In order to verify the authenticity of the said pay order a letter was issued for verification to Faysal Bank Ltd. The bank checked its data and manual records and responded that the subject Pay Order was fake.
After which, the department established a stance that the accused M/s Ajwa Enterprises knowingly and dishonestly presented forged pay orders against the Sales Tax amounting to Rs. 7,551,125/- as genuine with the intention of deceiving the Customs authorities and obtaining acceptance thereof as payment of Government revenue.
The forged instrument was submitted in place of the actual payment required from the accused and was intended to cause wrongful loss to the Government exchequer and corresponding wrongful gain to the accused.
It is alleged that the submission of the forged pay orders constitutes a violation of sections 32(1)(a) and 32A(1)(a) and (e) of the Customs Act, 1969, punishable under clauses 14(i) and 14A of section 156(1).
The acts also attract sections 420 and 471 of the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860, and section 468 PPC, along with any other applicable provisions of law.
