MQM linked to over 70 UK bank accounts

BBC claims police documents show Altaf alone owns 26 accounts

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement operates over 70 bank accounts in the United Kingdom with 26 alone in the name of party chief Altaf Hussain, according to the BBC. The Karachi-based party has been under investigation for money laundering for several years.

Police documents available with the BBC show at least 70 bank accounts owned by the MQM as investigations continue against at least six party leaders, including Altaf.

The British police have been interrogating the MQM leaders over money laundering charges since 2012 when undocumented cash was found at the MQM supremo’s house during investigation into the murder of Dr Imran Farooq.

The British police have submitted the Scotland Yard documents to the Federal Investigation Agency, including all necessary details regarding the party’s bank accounts. The Scotland Yard has declined to comment on the documents.

According to the BBC, the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service is already considering whether leading MQM members should be charged with money-laundering offences but police say that does not stop them from further inquiries.

“The investigation continues and any further relevant information would be discussed with the CPS,” a spokesperson at Scotland Yard told the BBC.

While the Scotland Yard has declined to comment on the documents, the MQM rejected the claims about its bank accounts, terming them “baseless”. The party has denied any wrongdoing and insists all allegations made against it are false.

The MQM spokesperson brushed aside the BBC report, saying the story was aimed at maligning the party chief and the MQM. He said in consultation with the MQM’s legal team, a letter has been written to the Scotland Yard to explain its position.

Hakim Said case

Separately, an MQM activist in custody over murder charges has shared some names of party workers allegedly involved in the high-profile assassination of then Sindh governor Hakim Mohammad Said in 1998.

A video confession of Minhaj Qazi surfaced on Friday, in which he made the revelations regarding the murder case. The suspect, who worked as security in-charge at MQM headquarters Nine-Zero, has been accused of murdering a former K-Electric managing director among others.

In the third such video released by unknown sources, Qazi is seen wearing shalwar kameez and sitting on a chair against a bright pink backdrop and sharing the names of people involved in the murder of Hakim Said, who was shot by armed assailants on October 17, 1998.

“I was not in touch with the MQM when Hakeem Said was murdered,” he says in the 38-second video clip. “Zulfiqar Haider [an MQM worker] and others were in Karachi when Hakeem Said was killed.”

Qazi said MQM workers named Mehmood Siddiqui, Shakir Langra and others were involved in Said’s murder. “Mehmood Siddiqui was the chairman of MQM’s student wing APMSO at the time while Imran Pasha, Amir (a resident of Liaquatabad) and others were arrested in connection with this case.”

Two similar videos of former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain also made rounds on social media. Dr Asim is also seen against a blue backdrop talking about alleged wrongdoings of Owais Muzaffar, a foster brother of former president Asif Ali Zardari.

Mehmoodabad SHO Muhammad Sarwar alias Sarwar Commando, who had Qazi’s custody for some time, denied Qazi had made any such statements earlier. “I only interrogated him over the KESC MD murder case,” he told The Express Tribune.

At a press conference, MQM Senior Deputy Convener Farooq Sattar claimed the airing of the leaked video was against the Supreme Court ruling and was a clear contempt of court.

He said the allegations against the MQM were baseless and highly condemnable. All those named in the video have been acquitted by courts, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2016.