New Desk
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday filed a reference against Khawaja Anwar Majeed in the fake bank account case which involves misappropriation of sugar cane growers subsidy granted in 2014-15.
The bureau, in the reference, stated that the owners of sugar mills are involved in “corruption and corrupt practices and misappropriation of government subsidy worth millions of rupees.”
“The Government of Sindh through Cane Commissioner Sindh paid an amount of Rs3.9 billion to different sugar mills for onward payment to genuine sugar cane growers as subsidy on account of supply of sugar cane for the season 2014-15,” the press release stated.
An investigation was conducted on the eight sugar mills of Omni Group which is owned by Anwar Majeed and his four sons Khawaja Abdul Ghani Majeed, Khawaja Nimr Majeed, Khawaja Mustafa Zulqarnain Majeed and Khawaja Ali Kamal Majeed.
The investigation revealed that “out of Rs728.18 million subsidy granted to the eight sugar mills of Omni Group, an amount of Rs346 million has been misappropriated,” by the accused of their benefit and enjoyment in connivance with their senior employees by showing their “low paid” staff as sugarcane growers.
NAB gave the approval to file reference against Majeed in October. He is one of the accused in the multi-billion dollar money laundering case that also involves Pakistan Peoples Party top leaders.
The decision was taken in NAB Executive Board Meeting (EBM), chaired by Justice Javed Iqbal. The board approved initiating a total of three references and three inquiries as it referred some inquiries to the relevant forum for further proceedings and action.
