Game over: Former OGRA chief surrenders in UAE

Tauqir Sadiq tracked down by local police and Interpol.

LAHORE:

The elusive former chairman of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra),Tauqir Sadiq – who has been on the run ever since he was accused of embezzling Rs83 billion rupees ($850 million) in kickbacks and commissions –  has finally been arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), The Express Tribune learnt on Tuesday.

Sadiq went into hiding soon after the November 25, 2011, Supreme Court verdict, which had declared his appointment illegal and directed NAB to investigate corruption cases against him within 45 days.

Sources told The Express Tribune that NAB and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Punjab made the arrest with assistance from authorities in Dubai and Interpol. Sadiq’s location was tracked down through telephonic conversations and internet activity, such as chat, the source added.

On January 24, the Supreme Court had ordered NAB to file two corruption references within a week in the Tauqir Sadiq case, including one against the prime minister who allegedly approved Sadiq’s appointment as Ogra chairman.



A three-member Pakistani team, comprising SSP CTD Rawalpindi Rana Shahid, Inspector (Technical) CTD Mazhar Hanif Qadri and NAB Deputy Director Waqas Ahmad Khan, traced Sadiq in the UAE reportedly through contacts he maintained with a one, Salma.

The former Ogra chairman had been hiding in a villa located in Ajman, one of the seven emirates of the UAE, at his first cousin Amna Ubaid’s residence. A member of the team, requesting anonymity, said the telephonic conversation and Sadiq’s activities led the team to believe that a hidden hand was trying to protect Sadiq.

Amna and her husband, Sajjad, were allegedly providing accommodation to Sadiq, despite his proclaimed offender status and of Interpol’s red warrants.

A business partner of Sadiq, identified as Tahir and another identified as Waseem Khan, who resided in the UAE, have also been detained. Tahir allegedly owns a travel agency, while Waseem allegedly runs a ‘Hundi’ and ‘Havala’ business to facilitate illegal foreign remittances.

NAB unearthed two suspicious transactions in the amounts of 64,000 dirhams and 100,000 dirhams transferred from the UAE to Pakistan by Sadiq through Waseem’s illegal business.

Investigators also discovered a bank account under Sadiq’s name in Sharjah (UAE), in which 30,000 to 35,000 dirhams were being deposited on a monthly basis from Pakistan, particularly after Sadiq had escaped from the country.

Initially, Sadiq refused to surrender but decided to do so when his family members, business partners began being detained due to his disappearance. He also surrendered due to pressure from other accused in the case, sources revealed.

The three-member team arrested Sadiq, without actually physically being part of the operation, two days ago, but decided to make a formal announcement on Tuesday.  The team has returned to Pakistan due to the expiry of their visas, but is likely to return shortly after appearing before the two-member bench hearing the Tauqir Sadiq case on January 31.

According to sources, Sadiq and others involved in the case will be deported to Pakistan within a week by the UAE.

Deputy Consul General Ahsan Raza Shah at the Pakistani embassy in Abu Dhabi also confirmed Sadiq’s arrest and others who are now on their way to Abu Dhabi from Ajman for shifting in Khalidia Police Lock-up, sources added.

Earlier on January 10, a senior official of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had said that Sadiq had been arrested in Abu Dhabi with the help of Interpol. However, he was allegedly released by UAE authorities due to a lack of documents against him.


Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2013.