Pakistan

London police extends MQM chief's bail in money laundering case till Feb 2016

MQM leader Ali Raza Abidi confirms Altaf Hussain's bail extended till February 2016

Web Desk October 05, 2015

PHOTO: AFP

The Metropolitan Police in London on Monday extended the bail of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain in the money-laundering case, Express News reported.

MQM leader Ali Raza Abidi confirmed the MQM chief's bail was extended till February 2016.

Congratulations Pakistan - QET Altaf Hussain's Bail on ML case has been extended until February 2016. Thank you for your wishes and prayers!
— Syed Ali Raza Abidi (@abidifactor) October 5, 2015

This is the fifth bail extension granted to the MQM chief since 2013, suggesting police have yet to gather enough evidence to formally charge him.

Earlier during the day, he arrived at Southwark police station in South London to appear before British authorities in connection with the ongoing investigation.

According to reports, Farooq Sattar, Mohammad Anwar and other senior party leaders accompanied the MQM chief.

Read: Govt may continue MQM’s media blackout

The MQM last week had released a statement confirming he would be brought to the police station to be ‘further interviewed’.

The statement said Altaf and the MQM deny any involvement in money laundering. The party also claimed Altaf’s life is in danger in London, and conspiracies have been hatched to eliminate him.

The MQM chief has been a part of money laundering investigations after the Scotland Yard recovered a huge amount of cash from his residence and office in June 2013. He was arrested a year later and released after questioning. No formal charges have so far been pressed against him.

COMMENTS (12)

Khan | 8 years ago | Reply This is all drama.

Parvez | 8 years ago | Reply .....and politics trumps justice...once again.

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Ibrar | 8 years ago | Reply @Naeem Khan: Your suspicions are not without reason. Altar Hussain has allegedly always put himself and people under his command on sale as an asset, possibly to destabilise Pakistan when and if required. The party leaders are known to have written to Tony Blair, ex UK PM, offering party's services and it is said the party has also been open for sale to the U.S. Their services have not been needed so far as these foreign governments were at the times of these offers were already in control of Pakistan establishment. There is also a rumour going that there is an attempt to delay money laundering case until the outcome of Dr Faooq murder case. Does make sense. If Altaf Hussain is found to have any link with the murder he probably will be punished....and the Met may decide to withdraw money laundering case, thus saving embarrassment to the Indians. No doubt British justice tends to be very fair inside UK but how it works when outside parties are involved is difficult to say.

Ibrar | 8 years ago | Reply @I am a Khan: Some people seem to believe that progress in this case is possibly deliberately slowed to avoid revealing money link with the Indian RAW and hence any embarrassment to the government of India. International trade links do sometimes do wonders!!!

Naeem Khan | 8 years ago | Reply Why do I have this suspicions that British government does not want to go through with this case because he could be their asset and potentially could open up and spill the beans what the British has been doing in Pakistan under the radar. Large sums of money was found at his residence which he has not declared and paid any income taxes and could not explain the origin of the cash money. Although we know the origin and they know it too but the case will linger on till they find some kind of solution or resolution to this quagmire.

I am a Khan | 8 years ago | Reply @Shaikh Mohommad: In case you dont know- cases in UK take even 20 years to reach a conclusion. The so called world respected British Legal system is extremely slow. sometimes they given jail sentences to criminals when they are already 85, if still alive!!..justice delayed is justice denied, fits the British Legal System.

Ahmad | 8 years ago | Reply Ya Allah Khair..

AJ Khan | 8 years ago | Reply Altaf Hussain arrived at South Wark Police Station without creating fuss, blocking roads, closing shops, burning tires & vehicles. If the same case was registered in Pakistan, there was no question that he would have gone to Police Station. By this time, transport would have vanished from roads, the main arteries would have been blocked, people commuting on public buses would be asked to disembark, businesses would shut down and an indefinite mourning would descend upon the main port city of Pakistan. Unsurprisingly, any attempt to serve justice would go down as a political propaganda against the self-proclaimed almighty. Good to know that for a change, the court has not had to present itself before him.

miristan | 8 years ago | Reply This may be end of the rope for the great MQM leader.

miristan | 8 years ago | Reply I trust in British justice system. if he is guilty send him to his end.

Necromancer | 8 years ago | Reply Inshallah the only true leader of Pakistan will be cleared of all charges.....and once again will be among the educated masses of Pakistan

Shaikh Mohommad | 8 years ago | Reply Police seized a million pounds on 3 July 2013. He was interrogated on 4 July 2013. He was arrested and question on 3 June 2014 and released on bail on 6 June 2014. Today [5 October 2015], he is arriving at the Police Station for bail hearing. How long this case will go on? I wonder. Are there one law for the rich and powerful and another one for the ordinary people?

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