Senior IR official dismissed on corruption charges

KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has dismissed a senior officer of Inland Revenue on the charges of corruption and misconduct.

The revenue board initiated disciplinary proceedings against Syed Zubair Shah, a BS-19 officer of the Inland Revenue Service on the complaint of Chief Accountant of Pak Steel Re-Rolling Mills, Islamabad.

Shah has been posted as the secretary (admin pool), where he was under suspension due to the same charges since August 19, 2020.

Qaisara Fatima (IRS/BS-20) was appointed as the inquiry officer to probe the charges against the accused officer. The officer submitted a report on December 4, 2020 with the findings that the charges of misconduct and corruption had been proved against the officer.

On the basis of the inquiry report, a show-cause notice was issued on December 22, 2020 to the accused officer with the directives to submit an answer within seven days of the receipt, as to why one or more penalties, including major penalty of “dismissal from service” under the Government Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 1973 may not be imposed upon him.

The accused officer furnished a reply to the show-cause notice and denied the charges levelled against him and sought opportunity of personal hearing, which was granted by the authorised officer on January 21, 2021.

The accused officer challenged the evidence and the authorised officer directed the inquiry officer to get a forensic audit conducted from the Cyber Crime Wing of FIA.

The inquiry officer repeatedly directed the accused officer to get his voice recorded for the purpose of his voice samples to be produced before the FIA authorities; however, the accused was reluctant and avoided getting his voice recorded.

Accordingly, to decide the case, another opportunity of personal hearing was granted by the authorised officer on November 8, 2021.

Moreover, the inquiry officer sent the evidence for forensic audit to the FIA, which contained the voice of the accused and chief accountant of Pak Steel Re-Rolling Mills, Islamabad. The report received from the FIA on the telephonic conversation clearly states that spectrogram analysis of audio files obtained from the cell phone of the complainant depicts no sudden variations in pitch and frequency.

Therefore, the FIA’s report regarding the conversation recorded on the CD (evidence) confirmed the voice/conversation of the accused officer with the complainant.

After examining the record, written reply of the accused officer, including reply to the show-cause notice and findings of the inquiry officer, the authorised officer recommended imposition of a major penalty of “dismissal from service” under Rule 4(1)(b)(iv) of the Government Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 1973 upon Syed Zubair Shah (IRS/BS-19).

The competent authority, i.e., the Revenue Division secretary after considering all the aspects and material relating to the case, defence of the accused officer, including reply to the show-cause notice, findings of the inquiry officer and recommendations of the authorised officer dismissed Syed Zubair Shah (IRS/BS-19).

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