FIA gets physical remand of Polyclinic officials

Court rejects plea seeking seven-day physical remand of accused

ISLAMABAD:

A local court on Friday granted the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) a three-day physical remand of Polyclinic Hospital’s former deputy executive director finance Dr Amanullah and storekeeper Abid Hussain in a case pertaining to the use of expired dengue diagnostic kits and devices with the connivance of contractor Syed Mohammad Shah, who supplied the kits to the hospital in 2019 through M/S Ideal Diagnostic System Rawalpindi.

Earlier, the FIA arrested Dr Amanullah and Abid Hussain after the court rejected their interim bail plea.

On Friday, both accused were produced before judicial magistrate Umar Bashir by the FIA. The FIA sought a seven-day physical remand of the accused for the interrogation in the case.

The FIA investigation officer told the court that Dr Amanullah was supposed to send the matter of expired kits to the hospital’s executive director but instead he sent it to the storekeeper.

The defence lawyer contended that the FIA had named only two persons in the whole case. He said that his client had written a letter to the hospital’s senior management about the expired kits. The lawyer also objected to the jurisdiction of FIA in the instant case.

Dr Amanullah's lawyer argued that his client only signed the file and forwarded it. The executive director of the hospital was responsible to see all matters, he said.

The FIA official said that more people in the case were also being investigated. After listening to arguments, the court granted the FIA a three-day remand of the two accused.

On Thursday, special court judge Central Muhammad Azam Khan had rejected the bail plea of both the accused after the FIA furnished evidence to the court, seeking the cancellation of their interim bail.

On Thursday, Dr Amanullah's lawyer argued that the test kits were bought under a legal procedure. He said that his client had just signed the letter and he was not an authority regarding the equipment for the store.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 14^th, 2023.