Graft investigation: NAB summons Malik Riaz again

SC likely to decide Arsalan Iftikhar’s petition on Tuesday.

ISLAMABAD:

A joint investigation team (JIT) led by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has asked property tycoon Malik Riaz to furnish additional documents to substantiate his claims against Arsalan Iftikhar, son of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

The five-member joint investigation team, which is probing alleged financial deals between Malik Raiz and Arsalan Iftikhar has asked Riaz to appear in person on July 30 with all the additional documents which he had previously promised to submit. “Since Malik Riaz Hussain in his first personal appearance had requested extra time to file additional documents and information, he is being re-summoned for the said purpose and questioning. A notice for Monday, July 30, has been issued,” the media office of NAB said on Saturday.

After the attorney general requested NAB to investigate the case, its chief constituted a five-member team comprising three NAB officials and one official each from police and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to probe the matter.

Arsalan has challenged the JIT’s jurisdiction, and his counsel Sardar Muhammad Ishaq told The Express Tribune that he will present his final arguments before the division bench on Tuesday. The bench is hearing the petition of Arsalan challenging the composition of the JIT. He claims that most of the members chosen by the NAB chief had been affected by judgments made by his father in various cases, hence their bias could not be ruled out.

According to the NAB media office, the JIT has decided to record the statement of Salman Ahmed, son-in-law of Malik Riaz, in the near future. Ahmed is privy to or acquainted with multiple facts and transactions related to this case.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 29^th, 2012.