KARACHI, May 4: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has ordered the anti-corruption establishment to investigate embezzlement of million of rupees from the motor vehicle tax collection by excise and taxation officials in collusion with staff of the National Bank.

It is reliably learnt that the chief minister passed this order on the inquiry report submitted by a high-powered seven members committee, including officials of the Chief Ministers’ inspection team and the NBP and the department, headed by Director-General of Excise & Taxation Department Shoaib Siddiqui.

The committee has detected embezzlement of over Rs43.76 million from the collection of MVT, in the record from July 2008 to July 2009.

The Public Accounts Committee of the Sindh Assembly, while considering the draft paras of the excise department for 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09, had taken notice and expressed its anger over failure of the department to recover the reported Rs800 million embezzled public money.

The committee detected anomalies in the statements of NBP branches of Awami Markaz, Denso Hall, MA Jinnah Road, Nazimabad, PIDC House, Shaheed-i-Millat, KIA and SITE area.

It expressed surprise over failure of the auditors to detect embezzlement of MVT on time despite regular annual audits of the motor registration wing of Karachi.

The committee has recommended action against officials of the excise and taxation and the bank concerned under removal from service (Special powers) Sindh Ordinance, 2000 and under the bank rules.

It has also asked to recover the embezzled amount and suggested the need to conduct a special audit of all the NBP branches authorized for collection of MVT by AGPR for the last five years.

The committee has also suggested authorisation of NBP secretariat branch (not computerized) in respect of motor vehicle tax should be transferred to the Civic Centre branch which is computerised and online, to evolve fool-proof tax collection anddeposit mechanism.

The excise officials are responsible to submit a copy of cash collection summary to the head cashier of the motor registration wing after obtaining signatures of bank officials for verification.