Guilty as charged?: FIA submits interim challan against former Ohio deputy treasurer

Hearing adjourned until June 16 after lawyer failed to show up when the case was called.

LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Wednesday submitted an interim challan in the court of special judge (central) against US national Amer Ahmad, a former deputy treasurer for the state of Ohio and Chicago Comptroller, who is currently being held in Camp Jail Lahore.

Ahmad’s lawyer was not present in court when the case was called for hearing. He appeared in court later when the judge said that he was adjourning the case until June 16.

According to FIA officials, Ahmad forged a Pakistani passport, Pakistani birth certificate and Pakistani visa in order to flee the US as he was wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)in a case of financial fraud and a court had issued his arrest warrant.

Ahmad is wanted by the FBI. He has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bribery charges. The court had directed the FIA on June 3 when Ahmad applied for bail to complete the investigation report.

The FIA has not finalised investigations against four other people suspected of facilitating Ahmad in preparing his fake passport, visa and birth certificate. They have been identified as Union Council Secretary-I No 93 Syed Tajammul Zaidi, Union Council-II Secretary Mehmood Butt, Lawyer Ejaz Ashraf and Asif Amanullah.

The FIA report says that Ahmad’s fake birth certificate was issued from Lahore Union Council No 93 with the stamp of the union council’s secretary on April 24.

FIA Punjab Director Usman Anwar told The Express Tribune that in compliance with the court’s order, the investigation had been completed and an interim challan prepared.

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