ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Tuesday arrested three people involved in the Hajj corruption scandal, from different areas of Islamabad.
Those arrested including Sami Khan, Ghulam Mustafa and Abdul Sattar. Khan, who was allegedly involved in selling Hajj scheme forms, is an assistant in the ministry of religious affairs, while Mustafa and Sattar were the tour operators.
FIA officials also recovered money from the trio.
Updated from print edition (below)
Hajj debacle: FIA questions MPA Gilani about bullet-proof car
After the widening arc of the hajj scam investigation encompassed Premier Gilani’s son, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has now absolved him of charges of committing irregularities in arrangements for the pilgrimage and confined its investigation to his bullet-proof Land Cruiser, which was allegedly smuggled last year.
“The investigators could not collect any evidence against MPA Abdul Qadir Gilani on his alleged involvement in the hajj scam so far, ” according to Director General FIA Wasim Ahmad whom the PM retained despite the termination of other senior officials in the police and FIA on the Supreme Court’s directive. However, the investigation is underway and the FIA has already tightened its noose around proclaimed offenders, he added. Official sources confided to The Express Tribune that the FIA apparently cleared the PM’s son from the multi-million hajj scandal which cost two federal ministers their jobs. One of them is on interim bail.
Now, the focus of all investigation is on Qadir’s bullet- proof car. The FIA officials on Monday received Abdul Qadir Gilani with protocol, when he came to record his statement in connection with hajj irregularities. The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) recorded his statement and handed him a questionnaire related to his Land Cruiser. Qadir purchased the car for over Rs 24 million. The FIA is investigating the source of the money. Hussain Asghar, who is heading the JIT, also asked questions on the proper documentation of his car.
The Premier’s son claimed that he imported his car from the United Arab Emirates and paid Rs 8.5 million as custom duty. The premier’s son will have to answer the questions by the end of this week. However, he is not bound to appear before the JIT. FIA officials told The Express Tribune that the questionnaire focused on Abdul Qadir Gilani’s bullet- proof car. The questionnaire served to Qadir consisted of five questions. When and how did he import the bullet proof car? Did he clear the custom duty of his car? Did he explain the source of the income with which the car was purchased? Did he smuggle his car? Why did he not declare the Land Cruiser in his assets? “If the allegations prove to be true, I shall accept the penalty, ” MPA Gilani told the media after recording his statement.
“I have nothing to do with the hajj debacle.” He also accused the PML-N legislators of levelling false charges against him. Meanwhile, a local court accepted the interim bail of Zain Sukhera, a close friend of Qadir Gilani, in the hajj scam. The FIA had filed the case against him last week. Sukhera has been dismissed from the Ministry of Information Technology where he was working as consultant.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 22nd, 2011.
COMMENTS (2)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ