FIA baulks at recording Moonis statements

FIA says the MPA had to first approach the trial court.

LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency  on Tuesday refused to record Chaudhry Moonis Elahi’s statements for the National Insurance Company Limited  scam and advised  him to visit the office again after getting interim bail.

Moonis Elahi, son of former Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, reached FIA’s Lahore office to record his statements, along with Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) workers and lawyers. PML-Q supporters came with banners, flags, portraits and playcards, chanting slogans in favour of the MPA.

Moonis Elahi submitted a written statement addressed to the FIA Federal Additional Director-General, which said that he had been asked to come to the FIA office on March 1, but no one was there to record his statements.

In another written statement available with The Express Tribune, Chaudhry Elahi said that all information regarding the At-Tahur (pvt) Ltd company, which he is the director of, is available with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan. “I have also known Mohsin Habib Warraich for quite a while but he hardly ever visited my office,” Moonis Elahi said in a statement.

“Mohsin Habib Warraich did not visit my office in April last year,” he added in the statement.  He = said that despite waiting for two hours, no officer interrogated him.

Later FIA’s Deputy-Director Corporate Crime Circle Syed Javed Shah said: “On February 25 you were asked to approach the trial court ...and come back on March 1 after obtaining interim bail. You are once again advised to visit the office after getting interim bail”.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2011.