Bank manager gets bail against Rs100 surety bond in fraud case

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday granted bail to Karachi’s private bank’s branch manager in an over Rs3 billion sales tax fraud case against a surety bond of Rs100 only, reported 24NewsHD TV channel. 

Declaring the tax department’s action against Shahid Hussain Khawaja a misuse of authority, Justice Babar Sattar, in his written order, ordered that the copy of the court’s decision be also sent to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman while the copies of the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) decision be distributed among the tax officials.

The judge also termed the remand given by a magistrate of Khawaja and a rejection of his bail plea by a lower court ‘shameful’. 

The IHC also hinted at taking legal action against the FBR and the tax department officials in case they violated the relevant laws again. 

The judge wrote that the tax department failed to determine the exact amount due to be paid by the petitioner in tax and arrested him in violation of the LHC order. “Not only that, the department initiated criminal proceedings against him despite the fact that the high court order was in its knowledge.”

Besides that, Justice Sattar went on to write, no evidence of Khawaja’s involvement in the case could be presented. “The department misused its authority and trampled upon the plaintiff’s liberty and dignity,” the judge observed. 

“In their effort to collect more tax, the concerned officials transgressed the laws.”

The judge wrote he was optimistic that the trial court would keep in view today’s verdict’s legal significance. 

Reporter: Ihtesham Kiani