Minting money: Court extends physical remand of DCO’s gunman

FAISALABAD:

Anti-corruption Judge Shaukat Ali on Wednesday extended the physical remand of Imran Ahmad, a gunman speaking with the district coordination officer, for three days and directed the Anti-corruption Department to produce him in court on June 15.

Ahmed is accused of receiving money from patwaris, tehsildars, revenue officials, and traders and industrialists pretending it was for the DCO. On Wednesday, Anti-Corruption Department Assistant Director Zahid Masood Nizami told the court that the department needed more time to interrogate the man and recover the money. An advocate of the suspect opposed prosecution’s plea. He said his client was being tortured and had been pressured to confess. The court, after hearing arguments, extended remand for three days, though prosecution had asked for 10 days. The judge said the prosecution should complete its interrogation and recover the money in three days.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 12^th, 2014.