NAB completes inquiry into Safari park scandal

LAHORE (ONLINE): The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has completed its report into the Safari Park scandal revealing that illegal profits were made by some people who purchased animals including lions, cheetahs and black panthers by paying much more than the usual sum of money to the sellers.

The NAB sources disclosed that a loss of two crore and 77 lakh rupees had been caused to the national exchequer. The details show that two white lions were bought at the rate of one crore and 30 lakh rupees while their market price was only Rs 56 to 59 lakh.  This resulted in a loss of Rs 70 lakh to the national expenditure.

Likewise three Bengal tigers were bought for one crore and 83 lakh rupees whereas their market rate was between 60 to 70 lakh rupees. This caused a loss of one crore and 10 lakh rupees to the government.

Similarly two black panthers were also bought for one crore and 10 lakh rupees.  The market price of these animals was Rs 40 to 46 lakh only. This also caused a loss of Rs 60 lakh rupees.

NAB obtained the market rates of the animals from a firm in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) known as Khalid bin Kamal Trading to assist it in its inquiry in the Safari Park scandal. This company estimated that the total value of the animals at the Safari Park was two crore, 27 lakh and 47 thousand rupees.

This was vastly in contrast to the price estimated by the World Wildlife Fund which was 2 crore, 99 lakh and 30 thousand rupees.

There were also differences of amounts cited by other wildlife companies from around the world. For instance, another UAE company by the name of Scock Company cited the value of the animals as 2 crore, 41 lakh and 40 thousand rupees. This estimate was different from what the WWF had given by 2 crore and 73 lakh rupees.

Then yet another firm came out with another price estimate. It gave the rate of the animals as 2 crore, 50 lakh and 40 thousand rupees which contained a difference of 2 crore, 59 lakh and 40 thousand rupees.

According to the documents of the report several other such discrepancies and frauds had been discovered by the NAB officials in the purchase of other fauna. The investigation team consulted several national and international wildlife professionals and experts to help them in their probe and in establishing the facts of the matter.