HYDERABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has filed a reference against Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Toyota Hyderabad Motors a a leading car manufacturing company for alleged corruption involving over Rs.230 million. The amount was collected on the pretext of advance for booking the vehicles.
According to media, two persons including owner of a Hyderabad based dealership, Muhammad Shoaib Soomro and an other individual Asad Ali Malik, resident of Islamabad, have been charged in the reference.
A NAB source informed that the two accused were arrested few months ago and they continue to be in the NAB’s custody.
“Malik was working as an agent and front-man of Soomro who’s Chief Executive Officer of Toyota Hyderabad Motors (THM),” reads the reference.
It adds that Soomro was selling the vehicles outside the main sales area. “All the affected people were dealing directly with Malik who was taking orders of the vehicles,” the reference states, adding that the affected persons were asked by Malik to deposit amounts in his account as well as those belonging to the dealership.
Malik deceived the affected people by pretending to be a staff of THM. “Soomro booked the vehicles without appearance of the customers at the dealership by using their CNICs,” the reference alleged, underlining that Soomro also violated the company’s policy of booking and delivering the vehicles.
The Investigating officer pointed out that NAB collected record of such 16 vehicles from Excise and Taxation Department which showed connivance between Malik and Soomro.
The NAB stated that the roles of other dealers in Karachi as well as officials of the company were being investigated and that the bureau might also file a supplementary reference.