Court asks FIA to open probe against IO in PSL case

Orders agency to hold investigator accountable for lopsided investigation

KARACHI:

A banking court has asked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to launch an inquiry against an investigation officer (IO) for conducting a lopsided probe into the Pakistan Super League (PSL) spot-fixing case.

In its written order issued on Saturday, the court directed the agency to take action against IO Farid Ahmed Khan after concluding the inquiry in a month's time.

A day earlier, the court had rejected the charge-sheet submitted by Khan with regard to scandal that emerged in February during the fifth season of the unconcluded PSL event of 2020.

The court had noted that the IO had earlier claimed that there was substantial evidence against one of the accused Muhammad Faisal alias Chitta but he later retracted that statement, giving the accused a clean-chit while also requesting the court to remove his name from the FIR.

The FIA on February 27 apprehended three persons allegedly associated with an international racket involved in match fixing, money laundering and terror financing.

The accused persons in collaboration with their aides mostly based in other countries and an international racket were engaged in defaming and sabotaging the 5th season of the PSL, a franchise twenty20 cricket league which was established by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in 2015.

The FIA had initially arrested Mahendar Kumar, Naresh Kumar alias KG and Naresh Kumar alias Jani in an inquiry of the FIA Commercial Banking Circle (CBC) on allegations of keeping benami accounts, money laundering, and parallel banking practices.

The agency had also apprehended Muhammad Faisal alias Chitta, Ahmed Armaghan, Hanif Shaikh and Muhammad. These accused are still in custody while some other accused – Jabbar Amin, Aftab Ahmed alias Atif Dollar, Waqas alias Prince, Talha Siddiqui and Noman Ali – have been granted bail.