Khanani and Kalia case: Challenging acquittals, FIA chief records statement

Waseem Ahmed says his agency has prepared an appeal and will file it soon.

KARACHI:

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)’s Director-General Waseem Ahmed recorded his statement at the Sindh High Court (SHC) here on Friday, in connection with the special banking court’s acquittal of four directors of the Khanani and Kalia International (KKI), in the country’s biggest-ever money laundering case.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Choudhry had ordered the inquiry after Ahmed raised doubts about acquittal of the four KKI directors and four bankers involved in the case.

Ahmed was asked to appear before the inquiry officer at SHC Friday morning, but excused himself since he had to appear before the Supreme Court at the same time.

He flew into Karachi and arrived at the SHC in the evening. Ahmed’s statement was recorded by the inquiry officer Justice Sajjad Ali Shah in a sealed chamber. He also handed over some documents he had brought with him to the officer.

Refusing to divulge any details of the statement with the media later, Ahmed said the FIA has prepared an appeal which will be filed soon before the relevant appellate forum.

The accused, booked under charges of falsification of bank accounts, illegal banking and flight of foreign exchange from Pakistan, were exonerated of all charges due to legal glitches in the prosecution’s case. None of the 42 witnesses produced by the prosecution implicated the accused.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2011.