Audacity: Man arrested for impersonating adviser to CJP

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested a fraudster who posed as an adviser to the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) to influence and pressure government officials.

Naeem Athar Abbas Bukhari was arrested by the FIA Cyber Crime Circle on January 21 after an inquiry initiated on the complaint of the Supreme Court. FIA officials said the suspect made multiple phone calls to a Ministry of Commerce joint secretary in December.

Posing as an adviser to CJ Mian Saqib Nisar, the suspect ‘illegally, dishonestly and with mala fide intention’, tried to influence the joint secretary and get official information about a candidate who had appeared in a recruitment test held by the ministry.

Earlier, in November, the suspect also made contact with managing director of the Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan (USC) and tried to exert pressure for the posting of a USC officer who was facing disciplinary proceedings.

FIA officials were granted two-day remand by a local court.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2017.