Supreme Court: ‘Pharma official bought ticket to flee country’

The bench directed the FIA Lahore Director to find out who had purchased the ticket and then adjourned for February 13

LAHORE:

The Supreme Court has directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to determine the authenticity of an e-ticket receipt for a flight abroad, alleged by the police to have been bought by Nadir Feroz, managing director of Efroze Chemicals, with the aim of fleeing the country.

Model Town SP Ijaz Shafi Dogar produced the receipt before a full bench of the Supreme Court at its Lahore registry on Wednesday, saying the ticket was purchased by Feroz by credit card on January 28 for a flight the same day.

The SP said that Feroz had planned to flee in order to escape prosecution on criminal negligence charges in connection with the deaths of hundreds of Punjab Institute of Cardiology patients because of a tainted medicine, but the police had nabbed him at Lahore Airport.

Feroz’s counsel denied this. The bench summoned FIA Lahore Director Waqar Haider on short notice and directed him to find out who had purchased the ticket, and then adjourned for February 13.

The SC had taken up the case on an appeal filed by Feroz’s wife, alleging that her husband had been kidnapped by the police soon after obtaining pre-arrest bail from the sessions court on January 24 and detained illegally. The court had ordered Feroz’s release and directed him to record his statement with the district and sessions judge.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7^th, 2013.