Money laundering case: Stay on model’s plea extended

Ayyan has challenged customs court’s verdict penalising her of Rs50 million.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday extended stay for one day on a plea of model Ayyan Ali challenging an order of a customs court that has penalised her of Rs50 million in the currency smuggling case.

In her plea, the model has contended that the fine was imposed on her by the customs collector without hearing her.

When the court took up the case on Monday, the counsel for the model could not appear before the court and the judge maintained stay for a day. On April 4, the customs collector (adjudication) imposed a fine on Ayyan for making an attempt to smuggle foreign currency above the prescribed limit.

Ayyan through her counsel Latif Khosa has challenged the verdict maintaining that “she was shocked to know through electronic and print media about the impugned order”.  Her counsel said that the customs collector imposed the fine ex-parte, while the currency smuggling matter was pending before courts.

Custom officials had arrested Ayyan from the Benazir Bhutto International Airport for “trying to smuggle half a million dollars”.

The court will take up the case today (Tuesday).

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2016.