KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court's intervention in a vehicle import scam today shattered the importers' bid to evade tax amounting millions of rupees. A division bench of justices Top Bahadur Magar and Girish Chandra Lal issued the stay order not to implement the secretary-level decision of the Ministry of Finance to allow import of vehicles from third countries. Earlier, Nepal Automobile Dealers' Association (NADA) and the finance secretary had agreed to allow import of vehicles from third countries. The finance secretary had given his nod to import vehicles from third countries although NADA had tagged low price for customs clearance. Meanwhile, a writ petition was filed at the apex court as the petitioner surmised that the imports would benefit the businessmen and would cause a loss to the government. accusing the violation of Customs Act, 2008, advocate Ganesh Prasad Sigdel had moved the apex court.Sigdel maintained that as per section 61 and rules 41 and 42, there is a provision of customs appeal committee to test the decision. However, escaping the provision the secretary had issued the order under influence of the businessmen, Sigdel claimed. Following the order, advocate Madhav Kumar Basnet, who pleaded on behalf of the petitioner, said that the intervention of the apex court had foiled the tax evasion scam. "This proved that the secretary was against the government," he added. Owing to the legal debate, 20 Tucson and eight Land Rovers have been awaiting customs clearance at Birgunj Customs Office, Parsa.