Islamabad: The government has constituted two high-level committees following the emergence of a massive Rs120 billion solar panel over-invoicing scandal, as concerns grow over financial irregularities and governance failures within the system.
According to official details, a seven-member monitoring committee has been established under the leadership of Secretary Establishment Division Nabil Awan. This committee will oversee the overall progress and coordination of the inquiry process.
In parallel, a second committee has been formed to supervise investigation and prosecution efforts, headed by Director General Customs Intelligence, Rubab Sikandar. This body will place special focus on money laundering cases linked to the over-invoicing practices.
The scandal was initially uncovered by the Directorate of Internal Audit, which identified serious irregularities amounting to Rs120 billion in solar panel imports. Notably, the audit covered only 10 percent of consignments, indicating that the scale of the issue could be significantly larger.
The audit report also revealed major flaws in the Faceless Assessment System, highlighting blatant violations of rules and procedures during the clearance of solar panels.
In a troubling development, the officer who conducted the audit and exposed the scam has reportedly been suspended on allegations of leaking the report to the media. The suspension took place during the tenure of the current Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), raising serious questions about transparency and accountability within the institution.
