Lack of evidence: UK police quashes money laundering case against Altaf

Says no further action can be taken against MQM founder; unclear when seized cash will be returned

KARACHI: The Scotland Yard on Thursday withdrew a money laundering case against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain and others after being convinced that ‘there is not a realistic prospect of a successful prosecution’ under the British law.

The decision that no further action will be taken against Altaf came more than a week after the Scotland Yard, also known as London Metropolitan Police Service, sought time from a court to review evidences and decide if they would try to confiscate the money reportedly seized from the MQM’s UK office, residence of Altaf and a party-linked businessman Sarfaraz Merchant.

In a statement emailed to The Express Tribune, the London police said over £500,000 in cash was seized from a number of venues between 2012 and 2014.

According to reports, the raids, involving these recoveries, were conducted during a probe into the murder of Dr Imran Farooq, an MQM leader who was stabbed and bludgeoned to death in September 2010 near his Edgware residence.

“Since 2013, officers from the Met’s [Metropolitan Police] National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit have been investigating allegations of money laundering to which the civil proceedings were linked,” the statement read.

The case since its inception apparently remained a problem for the MQM for an added reason – the connection which led to this considerable amount’s recovery.

In June, 2014, Altaf was arrested by the police from a North West London hospital and remained in custody for a night before being released on bail. He remained on bail, having five extensions, until February, 2016 when he was exempted from police station visits.

According to the police, the case was withdrawn because the investigators and prosecutors accepted that there was insufficient evidence to prove that the money seized was the proceeds of crime or was intended for use in unlawful conduct.

A spokesperson for the London police said the Crown Prosecution Service advised the investigators that “there is not a realistic prospect of a successful prosecution under the British law.” The investigation is now complete and no further action will be taken, he added.

During the course of the investigation six people were arrested; 11 others were interviewed under caution; a total of 28 interviews were conducted at police stations; over 100 witness statements were taken and nine premises were searched which were located in the South and North of London.

The Scotland Yard did not specifically name the persons arrested and questioned. However, a senior MQM leader in London confirmed that besides Altaf Hussain and his cousin Iftikhar Qureshi, some other members of the party – including Tariq Mir and Muhammad Anwar – also were investigated. Three businessmen, Sarfaraz Merchant, Yasin Haji and Latif Jiwa were also probed.

The decision that the case has been withdrawn for lack of evidence brought relief at least to the pro-Altaf faction of the MQM, which is facing a split since Altaf’s August 22 anti-state speech.

Reacting to the development, the MQM-London leader Wasay Jalil took to Twitter and said it had been a great day, as he thanked God and Scotland Yard.

“More than £450,000 from the over £500,000 recovered amount belongs to the MQM,” Wasay said. However, he added, the London police has not informed the party when the money will be returned.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 14^th, 2016.