MQM linked to 'over 70 bank accounts in UK'

According to UK police documents, a total of 26 London bank accounts are in MQM chief Altaf Hussain's name

Muttahida Qaumi Movement has been found to be linked with 'over 70 bank accounts in the United Kingdom.'

United Kingdom police documents obtained by the BBC show of the 70 bank accounts linked with the party, a total of 26 are in the name of party chief Altaf Hussain.

As a probe is ongoing regarding money laundering charges against Altaf Hussain in Pakistan, members of MQM in the UK are waiting to hear if they will face similar charges. Six British detectives were recently in Pakistan seeking co-operation in the alleged money-laundering case.

Denying the allegations, MQM said Scotland Yard's claims regarding the bank accounts are baseless.

Though British police have been investigating MQM for several years, investigations picked up drastically since a meeting in London, between Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Home Secretary Theresa May in April.

Further, British police also submitted the Scotland Yard documents to Federal Investigations Agency (FIA), which included all necessary details regarding both open and closed bank accounts of the party. Scotland Yard has declined to comment on the documents.

According to reports, the UK police will continue making further inquiries despite the fact that UK's Crown Prosecution Service is yet to decide whether or not leading MQM officials should be charged with money-laundering offences.

"The investigation continues and any further relevant information would be discussed with the CPS," said a spokesperson at Scotland Yard.

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.

In October last year, the Metropolitan Police in London extended Altaf's bail  in the money-laundering case till February 2016. This was the fifth bail extension granted to the MQM chief since 2013, suggesting police have yet to gather enough evidence to formally charge him.

In a surprising turn of events, in February this year, the Scotland Yard announced it was cancelling the bail of six men, including Altaf and two other party members, in a money-laundering case.

Despite the cancellation of bail, a spokesperson for the London Metropolitan Police told The Express Tribune that investigations into the allegations would continue and further action would be taken as needed.

“Bail cancellation means that these men are not required to come to the police station anymore as they were required to do so earlier during their bail,” she explained.

This article originally appeared on BBC