Hajj Scam: Interpol issues red notice for key Hajj fraudster
Ahmad Faiz allegedly embezzled 18.32m riyals in collusion with agents and officials of the Hajj directorate in Makkah.
ISLAMABAD:
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has secured a ‘red notice’ from Interpol, tightening the noose around Ahmad Faiz, whom the agency considers to be the main accused in the Hajj scam.
According to Interpol, a ‘red notice’ allows his or her “warrant to be circulated worldwide with the request that the wanted person be arrested with a view to extradition”.
Faiz is said to have embezzled 18.32 million Saudi riyals in collusion with agents and officials of the Directorate of Hajj in Makkah.
According to an FIA official, Faiz misappropriated the huge amount in connivance with former Director General Hajj Rao Shakil Ahmad, who himself allegedly misused Rs2.2 million.
“If the agreement had been done directly with the mustajars (owners) the misappropriation would not have occurred,” according to the FIA report compiled by FIA Director-General Wasim Ahmad.
“The Riyadh office of Interpol has also been requested to assist in locating and repatriating the accused,” DG FIA said.
Faiz, who got a 2010 model Toyota Sequoia (URB5898) as a gift, was also arrested in August last year by Saudi police, an official said seeking anonymity. The vehicle was purchased by Rao Shakeel against a payment of 123,000 Saudi riyals from M/s Abdul Jamil of Madina Road, Jeddah, the FIA report, which was made available to The Express Tribune, said.
Pakistan ambassador meets governor of Makkah
The Pakistan ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Umar Khan Alisherzai, sought help of the Governor of Makkah Prince Khalid al Faisal for the arrest of Ahmed Faiz, who is wanted for interrogation and believed to be hiding somewhere in Saudi Arabia. “Two Saudi citizens, Muhammad al Harithi and Najdi, who provided surety for Faiz when he was arrested last year by the Saudi Police, should be taken on board for arresting the accused,” Khan said.
Alisherzai is reported to have told the governor that the accused had been arrested last year for document forgery. A letter (no-1(1) DG (H)/2010) has also been issued by Syed Abu Ahmad Akif, Director-General Hajj in Jeddah, indicating that the Saudi police was already looking for Faiz. A special FIA team left for Saudi Arabia to make arrests a month ago but it could not apprehend a single accused nor could it trace the key accused, Faiz.
The FIA had earlier given a clean bill of health to former religious affairs minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi in the scam that cost him his ministry last month. However the Chief Justice rejected the report and asked the FIA to submit a detailed report tomorrow (Tuesday) on the whole saga.
Meanwhile, Director General Hajj, Makkah has announced a reward of one million rupees for anyone who provides any details about the absconder Ahmad Faiz s/o Shafi Mohammad. This was printed in a local Urdu newspaper in Saudi Arabia.
What it amounts to?
These Interpol ‘Red Notices’ represent only a tiny fraction of the number of red notices issued by Interpol. The persons concerned are wanted by national jurisdictions (or the International Criminal Tribunals, where appropriate) and Interpol’s role is to assist the national police forces in identifying or locating those persons with a view to their arrest and extradition. These red notices allow the warrant to be circulated worldwide with the request that the wanted person be arrested with a view to extradition. A distinction is drawn between two types of red notices: the first type is based on an arrest warrant and is issued for a person wanted for prosecution; the second type is based on a court decision for a person wanted to serve a sentence. Interpol
Published in The Express Tribune, January 10th, 2011.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has secured a ‘red notice’ from Interpol, tightening the noose around Ahmad Faiz, whom the agency considers to be the main accused in the Hajj scam.
According to Interpol, a ‘red notice’ allows his or her “warrant to be circulated worldwide with the request that the wanted person be arrested with a view to extradition”.
Faiz is said to have embezzled 18.32 million Saudi riyals in collusion with agents and officials of the Directorate of Hajj in Makkah.
According to an FIA official, Faiz misappropriated the huge amount in connivance with former Director General Hajj Rao Shakil Ahmad, who himself allegedly misused Rs2.2 million.
“If the agreement had been done directly with the mustajars (owners) the misappropriation would not have occurred,” according to the FIA report compiled by FIA Director-General Wasim Ahmad.
“The Riyadh office of Interpol has also been requested to assist in locating and repatriating the accused,” DG FIA said.
Faiz, who got a 2010 model Toyota Sequoia (URB5898) as a gift, was also arrested in August last year by Saudi police, an official said seeking anonymity. The vehicle was purchased by Rao Shakeel against a payment of 123,000 Saudi riyals from M/s Abdul Jamil of Madina Road, Jeddah, the FIA report, which was made available to The Express Tribune, said.
Pakistan ambassador meets governor of Makkah
The Pakistan ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Umar Khan Alisherzai, sought help of the Governor of Makkah Prince Khalid al Faisal for the arrest of Ahmed Faiz, who is wanted for interrogation and believed to be hiding somewhere in Saudi Arabia. “Two Saudi citizens, Muhammad al Harithi and Najdi, who provided surety for Faiz when he was arrested last year by the Saudi Police, should be taken on board for arresting the accused,” Khan said.
Alisherzai is reported to have told the governor that the accused had been arrested last year for document forgery. A letter (no-1(1) DG (H)/2010) has also been issued by Syed Abu Ahmad Akif, Director-General Hajj in Jeddah, indicating that the Saudi police was already looking for Faiz. A special FIA team left for Saudi Arabia to make arrests a month ago but it could not apprehend a single accused nor could it trace the key accused, Faiz.
The FIA had earlier given a clean bill of health to former religious affairs minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi in the scam that cost him his ministry last month. However the Chief Justice rejected the report and asked the FIA to submit a detailed report tomorrow (Tuesday) on the whole saga.
Meanwhile, Director General Hajj, Makkah has announced a reward of one million rupees for anyone who provides any details about the absconder Ahmad Faiz s/o Shafi Mohammad. This was printed in a local Urdu newspaper in Saudi Arabia.
What it amounts to?
These Interpol ‘Red Notices’ represent only a tiny fraction of the number of red notices issued by Interpol. The persons concerned are wanted by national jurisdictions (or the International Criminal Tribunals, where appropriate) and Interpol’s role is to assist the national police forces in identifying or locating those persons with a view to their arrest and extradition. These red notices allow the warrant to be circulated worldwide with the request that the wanted person be arrested with a view to extradition. A distinction is drawn between two types of red notices: the first type is based on an arrest warrant and is issued for a person wanted for prosecution; the second type is based on a court decision for a person wanted to serve a sentence. Interpol
Published in The Express Tribune, January 10th, 2011.