Rs630m fraud: SC demands arrest of PM’s former media adviser
SC warns FIA director general of contempt proceedings in case of failure.
ISLAMABAD:
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Wednesday warned Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Tehseen Javed of contempt proceedings in case he failed to arrest a fraud case accused being allegedly protected by the prime minister’s office.
“Had the FIA arrested the accused, the names of bigwigs would not have emerged before the court,” Justice Chaudhry observed. The petitioner, Sameer Hussain, alleged that Khurram Rasool Butt – former coordinator to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Northern Pakistan Television – defrauded the complainant of Rs630 million by promising him a quota for LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) and licence for oil supplies to the Nato forces stationed in Afghanistan.
The petitioner also claimed that Butt had introduced him to the prime minister in connection with getting him the LPG quota. On Tuesday, the court had asked the FIA to record statements of Cabinet Secretary Nargis Sethi, and arrest Butt and his brother for fraud.
“Despite clear orders, the FIA DG has not complied with the directives of the court. He is communicated through the additional director general to arrest the accused; in case of failure, he might have to face consequences for non-compliance of the order repeatedly issued to him,” the chief justice ordered.
Meanwhile, FIA’s additional DG said that under the court orders, statements were being recorded and the accused would be arrested in three to four days. The chief justice observed Khushnood Lashari, who was accused of getting the accused out of the FIA custody, had denied
petitioner Hussain’s claim.
Reading from the records of the court, the chief justice observed that Hussain had quoted former FIA DG Waseem Ahmed as stating that the prime minister’s office had been interfering with the investigation and the arrest of the accused.
“If you had arrested the accused, this situation would not have emerged. We are still asking you to arrest Butt for precluding these names from coming up before the court. What the court might decide in the case, though, remains to be seen,” the chief justice stated.
The chief justice directed FIA officials to complete the process of recording statements and present a report to the court on the next date of hearing. He observed that it would have been far better for the case, had the FIA recorded the statement of Nargis Sethi too.
Rasheed A Razvi, the petitioner’s counsel, informed the court that the accused was being shielded by some influential office-holders, who also impeded the FIA from arresting the accused in violation of the court order. Rizvi said that Rasool was involved in fraud of two companies – Sahara Gas (pvt) Limited and Pak Delta Enterprises (pvt) Limited – and had deluded them into signing fake agreements for LPG and licence for export of oil to Nato forces in Afghanistan.
Rizvi said that Rasool and his brother Shahid Mehmood, along with Ghulam Ghose, managed to forge the signature of ministry of petroleum and natural resources’ secretary on various agreements.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 26th, 2012.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Wednesday warned Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Tehseen Javed of contempt proceedings in case he failed to arrest a fraud case accused being allegedly protected by the prime minister’s office.
“Had the FIA arrested the accused, the names of bigwigs would not have emerged before the court,” Justice Chaudhry observed. The petitioner, Sameer Hussain, alleged that Khurram Rasool Butt – former coordinator to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Northern Pakistan Television – defrauded the complainant of Rs630 million by promising him a quota for LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) and licence for oil supplies to the Nato forces stationed in Afghanistan.
The petitioner also claimed that Butt had introduced him to the prime minister in connection with getting him the LPG quota. On Tuesday, the court had asked the FIA to record statements of Cabinet Secretary Nargis Sethi, and arrest Butt and his brother for fraud.
“Despite clear orders, the FIA DG has not complied with the directives of the court. He is communicated through the additional director general to arrest the accused; in case of failure, he might have to face consequences for non-compliance of the order repeatedly issued to him,” the chief justice ordered.
Meanwhile, FIA’s additional DG said that under the court orders, statements were being recorded and the accused would be arrested in three to four days. The chief justice observed Khushnood Lashari, who was accused of getting the accused out of the FIA custody, had denied
petitioner Hussain’s claim.
Reading from the records of the court, the chief justice observed that Hussain had quoted former FIA DG Waseem Ahmed as stating that the prime minister’s office had been interfering with the investigation and the arrest of the accused.
“If you had arrested the accused, this situation would not have emerged. We are still asking you to arrest Butt for precluding these names from coming up before the court. What the court might decide in the case, though, remains to be seen,” the chief justice stated.
The chief justice directed FIA officials to complete the process of recording statements and present a report to the court on the next date of hearing. He observed that it would have been far better for the case, had the FIA recorded the statement of Nargis Sethi too.
Rasheed A Razvi, the petitioner’s counsel, informed the court that the accused was being shielded by some influential office-holders, who also impeded the FIA from arresting the accused in violation of the court order. Rizvi said that Rasool was involved in fraud of two companies – Sahara Gas (pvt) Limited and Pak Delta Enterprises (pvt) Limited – and had deluded them into signing fake agreements for LPG and licence for export of oil to Nato forces in Afghanistan.
Rizvi said that Rasool and his brother Shahid Mehmood, along with Ghulam Ghose, managed to forge the signature of ministry of petroleum and natural resources’ secretary on various agreements.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 26th, 2012.