Hajj corruption: Court orders reopening of Kazmi’s foreign currency accounts

FIA had frozen Kazmi's foreign currency accounts in January last year.

RAWALPINDI: A trial court in Rawalpindi ordered the reopening of former religious affairs minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi’s foreign currency accounts in the Hajj corruption scandal on Thursday, reported Express News.

The court ordered the Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) to conduct an inquiry against Kazmi again and present a comprehensive report to the court.

The court also permitted Kazmi to submit proof of claims of his innocence in the scandal.

Former director general Hajj Rao Shakeel, who is also one of the accused, was also ordered to appear before the court on January 21 “at any cost”.

The hearing of the case has been adjourned.

The foreign currency accounts of a private seminary run by Kazmi – who was sacked by the prime minister for his alleged involvement in corruption in Hajj 2010 arrangements – were frozen by the FIA in January last year.

FIA officials also claimed that the accounts were frozen due to lack of interest shown by officials of the Pakistani consulate in Saudi Arabia as well as the Hajj mission in Jeddah.

Earlier, the FIA had exonerated Kazmi on charges of making millions of rupees in the wake of the Hajj debacle in the investigation report compiled by the FIA DG.