KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday ordered the authorities concerned to deposit in the national exchequer the amount recovered from flour mills involved in the wheat scam.

A two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M. Shaikh also dismissed a bail petition filed by flour mill owner Sikandar Ali Mahar over his absence from the court during the hearing.

The petitions were filed by two millers seeking pre-arrest bail in connection with an inquiry launched by the National Accountability Bureau in the wheat sale scam.

The petitioners submitted through their counsel that the federal anti-graft watchdog had initiated an inquiry into the owners of the flour mills and the food department officers/officials allegedly for selling the essential commodity to different mills, which defaulted on payments pledged in return.

At the outset, provincial food secretary Haroon Akhtar and director food Hasan Zaidi appeared before the court.

The chief justice came down heavily on the secretary and the director for failing to perform their duties and saving the wheat meant for the general public.

The secretary filed a report submitting that the flour millers had borrowed the wheat worth of Rs20 billion from the food department and promised to make payment after 180 days.

It further stated that Rs19 billion had been recovered from the flour millers and Rs1 billion was still lying outstanding against them.

The bench members expressed their concerns over the manner in which the food department authorities had sold the wheat to the flour mills and failed to make recoveries of the amount.

The secretary’s report further stated that petitioner Waheed Gopang had paid Rs530 million to the food department.

The bench directed the food department and the NAB authorities concerned to ensure that the amount recovered from the flour mills in respect of the essential commodity sold to them was deposited in the national exchequer along with the mark up.

The court also directed them to submit their compliance reports respectively on the next date of hearing and fixed the matter on June 25.

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2019