FIA to probe multi-million rupee PIA tyres scam

KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) with the assistance of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has launched a probe against its officials over causing losses worth 200,000 United States (US) dollars in a tyre purchase scam, ARY NEWS reported.

According to details, the incumbent PIA administration had unearthed a scam involving the purchase of tyres for PIA planes in 2017.

The spokesman for the national flag carrier while detailing the entire scam said that a company claiming to be a representative of the Gadair signed a deal with the national flag carrier for provision of planes’ tyres. However, when the FIA authorities approached the Gadair, they outrightly rejected having a representative company with this name.

“After the inquiry, we have determined the role of the PIA officials involved in the entire scam,” the spokesman said adding that the FIA has been directed to further probe the matter against the accused.

PIA CEO Arshad Malik has issued a statement on the matter, saying that those involved in inflicting heavy losses to the national flag carrier should not be spared.

It is pertinent to mention here that a foreign aero company was given an order for the provision of new and old tyres for PIA planes. However, the company failed to comply with the order despite payment of $200,000 US dollars.

Moreover, the company’s owner Raja Masood also presented a permission letter of the foreign company before the PIA management. The FIA issued notices to the owner of the foreign company which claimed itself a distributor of a foreign company Gadair.