Mureed Abbas murder: Fearing pressure from media, police want NAB to take over investigation

A letter by investigating SSP says murders involve Rs1b financial scam

KARACHI: South Zone Investigation SSP, head of the committee formed to investigate the murders of TV anchor Mureed Abbas and his friend, has written a letter to the South DIG asking for the investigation to be handed over to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after a massive financial scam surfaced in the case.

In the letter written to South DIG Sharjeel Kharal, South Zone Investigation SSP Tariq Razzaq Dharejo has stated that the police have arrested the prime suspect, Atif Zaman, who had attempted suicide after murdering Mureed Abbas and Khizer Hayat in Defence Housing Authority Phase VI on July 9, 2019. During the investigation, a financial scam of over Rs1 billion has been unearthed in which Zaman is involved, reads the letter. It mentions that the number of people affected by the fraud is over 100.

Dharejo has maintained in the letter that the national watchdog can investigate the case better and the domain of the case falls under NAB.

"As the scam involves some staff of media groups as investors, police will face immense pressure for recoveries and will earn a bad name if someone is not obliged," reads the letter.

Dharejo has requested in his letter that DIG Kharal write a letter to NAB Sindh DG to carry out the investigation of the case on merit.

Meanwhile, investigation agencies have compiled a record of money invested by different persons in Zaman's scheme.

According to the agencies investigating the scandal, Abbas and his close friends had invested around Rs70 million. Deceased Hayat had invested Rs50m while two other anchors of private TV channels had invested around Rs85m. An eyewitness of the incident, Umar Rehan, had invested Rs50m while a plastic trader had invested Rs8.2m and a man identified as Aqib had invested Rs5m.

Investigation sources say that these people had invested money of their close relatives and friends as well. It has been revealed that Zaman has 11 bank accounts and relevant institutes will be contacted to investigate those bank accounts.

Remand extended

Meanwhile, a local court extended on Monday the physical remand of Zaman on the request of the investigation officer (IO). The court also issued notices to the SSP over the petition moved for a meeting with the accused.

The South judicial magistrate heard the case in Karachi city court. The IO appeared for the hearing. The report of the hospital was submitted to the court.

According to the report, the accused was in no condition to appear before the court. The IO sought more time to present Zaman. The court ordered the IO to submit an investigation report pertaining to the accused by July 30.

The counsel for Zaman submitted a petition seeking permission for a meeting upon which the IO informed that no one can meet the accused without the doctor's permission. He added that the accused's condition was not suitable for presenting him before the court.

The court asked the IO if the accused was in a position to meet to which the IO replied that permission to meet Zaman has not even been granted to him. The doctors told him, he said, that the patient cannot meet anyone. He added that if the accused dies in the hospital, he will be stuck in a difficult position.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 16^th, 2019.