The government has temporarily fired National Board of Revenue (NBR) Deputy Commissioner Lincoln Roy on allegations of causing a revenue loss of Tk146 crore by making documents disappear.
A notification signed by NBR Chairman Abdul Rahman Khan on Thursday stated that while serving at Tax Zone-5, Dhaka, Lincoln Roy caused a revenue loss of Tk146,57,46,553 to the government by reissuing IT-39 and IT-88 order forms for resolved cases of Dhamsuri Economic Zone Limited for the 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 fiscal years.
The notification mentioned that disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against him under the Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, and he has been temporarily dismissed from service. During the dismissal period, he will receive subsistence allowance as per regulations.
In connection with the same allegations, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has approved a case against Abu Saeed Md Mustaq, then commissioner of Tax Zone-5, Dhaka; Additional Commissioner Golam Kabir; and Deputy Commissioner Lincoln Roy. ACC Assistant Director Minhaj Bin Islam is expected to file the case soon.
The ACC investigation report stated that Dhamsuri Economic Zone Limited had been ordered to pay Tk 146.57 crore in taxes for the 2020–21 and 2021–22 fiscal years. However, after a change in officials, the new officers revised and amended the tax assessment orders, reducing the claimed amount to zero and Tk1,000, respectively. In this way, they directly assisted in revenue evasion.
The report further revealed that not only were the orders altered, but the original tax assessment documents were also made to vanish, which could not be recovered during the ACC raid.