NICL scam: Chief investigator accuses Chaudhrys of life threats

Additional DG FIA informs court of money transferred to Monis Elahi and Mohsin Warraich's bank accounts.

ISLAMABAD:

Additional Director General FIA Zafar Qureshi, who is the head of the FIA team probing the National Insurance Corporation Limited (NICL) scam, informed the apex court on Thursday that he was being threatened by the Chaudhry brothers and Habibullah Warriach and his son Mohsin Warraich.

The Supreme Court is learnt to have noted the names of Mohsin Warraich, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Habibullah Warraich, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Moonis Elahi and Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain.

“I fear for my life. If something happens to me during the investigation of this case, Habib Warraich, Mohsin Warraich and Chaudhry family should be held responsible,” Qureshi said while calling for provision of adequate security for all officials investigating this case.

“You should seek protection from the interior ministry,” Chief Justice remarked.

However, he directed the attorney-general to ensure security to the entire investigation team, including Zafar Qureshi.

Earlier, the Chief Justice said that the court wanted to retrieve the looted money back to the national exchequer.

The suo motu case regarding the alleged violation of rules by the NICL in land procurement is being heard by a four-member bench of the apex court, headed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Director Moazzam Jah told the court that the FIA team had discovered an anomaly of Rs30 million in another land acquisition deal in Korangi Town in Karachi.

The court ordered the DG FIA to submit a detailed report, besides asking the authorities to take necessary steps for the arrest of the main accused in the NICL land scam case, including Amin Qasim Dada and Mohsin Warraich.

Zafar Qureshi informed the court that one of the accused had admitted that he had paid Rs220 million to Moonis Elahi, adding that Mohsin Habib Warraich, Habibullah and Rana Mohammed Ali still owed Rs250 million, Rs200 million and Rs420 million, respectively .

He also said that the federal investigators had recovered Rs1.68 billion.

The case was later adjourned for a month.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 18th, 2011.