MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Ehtesab Bureau has launched an investigation into the purchase of 24 Toyota Hiace commuter vehicles for ambulance service amid allegations of embezzlement and irregularities.
According to the document available with Kashmir Digital, during the investigation, it was learned that M/S Toyota Azad Motors Mirpur participated in a bidding process for the provision of a “Toyota Hiace Commuter High Roof (Ambulance) 2023” to the Azad Kashmir government’s Department of Health.
The car dealer participated in the bidding process on May 8, 2023, for Rs 17.749 million per vehicle, but, the company later offered a discount of Rs 1.9 million per vehicle, reducing the price to Rs 15.8 million.
The letter written to the company allegedly involved in the financial fraud demanded further record or information required for the probe within 10 days.
“If required information was not provided, it will be assumed that you have no justification on your part for above narrated fraud which resulted a huge loss to Govt. exchequer,” the letter written to the company said.
The Ehtesab Bureau questioned, “Why did the company not provide the said committed 24 vehicles having 2023 Model instead of having 2022 Model violating the offered quotation and agreement for which the supplier has received the total amount of Rs 380,376,000?”
The letter further added that the company supplied the said vehicles having low value without providing the Bill of lading of said vehicles to hinder their assembly, causing a huge loss to Government Exchequer fraudulently.
“These vehicles lack any record on the Toyota Company website as well as no tax record on the excise and Taxation Portal showing the detail for the imported Vehicles,” the report added.
The AJK’s accountability watchdog asked the said company to provide the bill of lading and also provide the details of tax paid relating to these vehicles paid to the Government.
The letter also mentioned that the vehicles were supplied at a higher price than the vehicles with the same model having the same specifications to the AJK government’s Services and General Administration Department on April 20, 2022.
As per details, the vehicles to Services and General Administration Department were supplied at the cost of Rs. 9,709,000 less than the value of per subject vehicle resultantly an extra amount of Rs. 6,140,000 per subject vehicle was charged and in this context an amount of Rs. 14,736,000 was caused as loss to AJK government’s exchequer.
