KARACHI: An accountability court convicted on Friday four accused persons in two references pertaining to Rs97 million illegal sales tax refund fraud.

Two textile mills’ proprietors, Imran Ghani and Noor Mohammad, along with two senior officers of the Federal Board of Revenue, Syed Naeem Akhtar and Iqbal Shafique, were found guilty of conniving with each other to obtain illegal monetary gains through illegal sales tax refunds in 2004-05.

Accountability Court-II Judge Aaliya Latif Unnar pronounced her verdict reserved after recording evidence and final arguments from both sides.

The judge noted that the prosecution successfully proved the charges against the accused persons.

The judge awarded eight-year imprisonment each to Imran Ghani and Noor Mohammad, owners of textile mills. She also handed down five-year imprisonment each to Syed Naeem Akhtar and Iqbal Shafique, the then deputy collector and deputy superintendent of the FBR, respectively.

However, the court acquitted the fifth accused Mohammad Ajaib, the then accounts opening officer at a private bank, as the prosecution failed to prove the allegations against him.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2021