Asad Umar to appear before sugar inquiry commission tomorrow: sources

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar will appear before the commission probing sugar scandal in the country on Tuesday, ARY NEWS reported citing sources.

According to sources, the sugar inquiry commission has approached Asad Umar on which he decided to appear before it.

The federal minister had said earlier that he would appear before the commission and apprise them of the decisions taken during the economic coordination committee (ECC) meeting.

According to the latest updates, the sugar inquiry commission made progress in the probe into alleged misappropriation by completing interviews of the chief executive officers (CEOs) of different sugar mills on Sunday.

The executives’ interviews have been conducted by the inquiry commission at the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) headquarters.

Sources said that CEOs have not appeared before the commission, however, directors of the sugar mill owners gave the interviews to the investigators.

It emerged that the sugar inquiry commission had summoned eight groups for the interviews from the sugar mills including Alliance Group, Hunza Group, Hamza Group.

Sources added that the commission questioned the persons in light of the forensic audit.

It is pertinent to mention here that the federal cabinet on April 28 gave three weeks more time to Sugar Forensic Commission (SFC) to compile its detailed forensic report on the sugar and wheat scandal.

The approval was given in a federal cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, here in Islamabad.

The commission tasked with the forensic examination of the wheat, sugar inquiry report had sought three weeks’ time for submission of the thorough report.