Peshawar - President of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Fuad Ishaq has accused the chamber’s Secretary General Sajjad Aziz and two other employees for involvement in massive corruption and transaction of millions of rupees in their personal bank accounts through illegal means.
Addressing a news conference here at the Chamber House on Thursday, Fuad Ishaq vowed that all culprits involved in this mega corruption scam will soon be brought to justice. He informed that an inquiry would be also conducted through FIA and police after the completion of internal investigation into the corruption, besides cases would also be lodged against the accused.
During the presser, SCCI Vice President Ejaz Afridi, executive members, former presidents Haji Afzal, Zahid Shinwari, Hasnain Khurshid, Riaz Arshad, Malik Niaz, Zulfiqar Khan, former vice presidents, former president Industrialists Association Peshawar Malik Imran, and others were present.
Fuad Ishaq said that a gang of three persons including secretary general Sajjad Aziz was involved in corruption, which was caught red-handed and recovered a hefty amount of Rs5 million from a culprit, who was deputy secretary/incharge visa section Amjad Ali. He gave various pieces of evidence against the secretary general Sajjad Aziz, calling him the main culprit of this mega corruption scandal.
He also alleged that financial and administrative irregularities were unearthed by the chamber IT experts, adding further investigation is underway in this regard.
As per the initial inquiry report, he informed the media that during the last six months, a hefty amount of over Rs10 million was found in the private account of Sajjad Aziz. He revealed that the visa processing agents were also involved with the secretary general and these agents accepted that Sajjad Aziz got Rs7.2 million from them during the last three months.
The SCCI chief Fuad Ishaq vowed the chamber cabinet and businessmen forum will not spare these black sheep and all culprits involved in this scam will be brought to justice soon.
He informed that corruption was made in head of E-bill for Afghanistan, as the SG, Deputy Secretary Abdul Nasir and Deputy Secretary Visa Section Amjad Ali got Rs50,000 per visa letter instead of official fixed Rs10,000 while this official visa letter fee Rs10,000 was also not deposited in the chamber account, he added.
Similarly, he said fake receipts of E-bills for Afghanistan were also prepared and fake bank stamps were put on these receipts.
In reply to a query, Fuad Ishaq said that Secretary General Sajjad Aziz was terminated from service as per decision of the executive committee, while Amjad Ali had resigned on December 30, 2023 while Abdul Nasir was suspended due to involvement in this mega corruption scam.
He informed that corruption was made in 221 cases out of 472, according to which head of E-bills, 47 per cent cases were embezzled. He elaborated that deputy secretary Abdul Nasir done corruption in 47 cases in which he accepted only 37 cases.
Furthermore, he revealed that Amjad Ali through home processed visa letters over Rs1 million, and this email is also accessible to secretary general Sajjad Aziz, whereas more data of Secretary General is also collected.
Fuad Ishaq said there are reports that 13 people with guarantee letter of the SCCI were arrested in Hong Kong by Chinese authorities, and they are reporting to our government through interior ministry on which FIA had written a letter to the chamber, which secretary general without bringing into notice of the authorities concerned, done all matters independently, due to which Chinese embassy blacklisted the SCCI guarantee letter.
He said SCCI has written letters to the Chinese Ambassador and FPCCI president and sought a joint meeting to resolve the matter and ensure transparency in visa letter issuance and stop fraud cases in future.
