Wheat scam: Sindh CM reaches NAB Sukkur office to record statement

SUKKUR: Chief Minister of Sindh Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday reached National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Sukkur office for a hearing over misappropriated wheat stocks in Sindh, ARY News reported.

The accountability bureau had summoned the chief minister to answer questions with regard to misappropriation in wheat stocks in Sindh.

The chief minister reached the NAB office with two vehicles here without any protocol.

According to NAB sources, the government released wheat from its stocks to flour mills on subsidy rate in 2017. The price of the wheat stock, however, not paid to the government.

“The NAB has received an amount of 13.5 billion rupees in plea bargain for the misappropriated wheat”, sources at accountability bureau said.

Still, flour mills owners have to pay 1.5 billion rupees of the wheat price.

The regional office NAB Sukkur had initiated inquiry into the wheat scam.

In addition to these recoveries NAB Sukkur regional office filed eight references in courts against 39 accused including officials of the provincial Food Department.

The department, in a letter, said that 114,000 wheat sacks had gone missing while they were being shifted from Ghotki to Karachi.

The food department also urged the anti-graft watchdog to book those who were responsible for stealing wheat in 2018 and 2017.

Following an initial inquiry, the food department had formally asked NAB to undertake a comprehensive inquiry.