Hajj scam: Absconding building supervisor arrested in Saudi Arabia, FIA tells SC
FIA's report submitted to the SC, finds that 33 HGOs had charged Rs5,000 extra from each Haji.
ISLAMABAD:
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Tuesday submitted a report to the Supreme Court stating that Ahmed Faiz, an accused in the Hajj scam, had been apprehended by Saudi Authorities last week.
The Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Sohail Mahmood submitted the FIA report to the court on Tuesday which is hearing a suo motu case into the 2010 Hajj scam.
The three judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja is scheduled to hear of the case on Wednesday.
A senior official in FIA confided to The Express Tribune that the report was submitted on Tuesday. The report states that Faiz, a building supervisor, who was hiding in Saudi Arabia, had been arrested. However, Saudi Authorities had yet to formally inform the Pakistani government in writing about an extradition timeline.
When the court last heard the case on December 6, 2013, it had directed the FIA to repatriate the accused.
According to the FIA report submitted to the court, the agency had published a notice in Urdu-language newspapers in Saudi Arabia through the ministry of religious affairs for tracing Faiz. A reward of Rs1 million was also offered to the person who would provide information leading to Faiz’s arrest.
Learning about the proceedings, Fiaz is believed to have gone into hiding and was planning to move to either Taif or Riyadh.
“An incident about the dramatic interception and escape was reported by Intelligence Bureau (IB). On the night of June 23, 2014, while Ahmad Faiz was trying to shift his residence to some other place, a group four people (two Pakistanis and two Saudis) intercepted his vehicle and picked him forcibly and moved to an unknown location”, the FIA report added.
The report further adds that the four men were interested in earning the reward money offered by the government of Pakistan or to obtain ransom from his family.
“Muhammad Waqar, who is a son-in-law of the accused, wanted to settle scores with his father-in-law besides earning the reward money. However, Faiz’s sons of managed to trace the location of abductors. They along with 20-25 Pakistanis attacked the hiding place and recovered Faiz.”
Hajj group organisers had overcharged Hajis
Meanwhile, the FIA report submitted to the SC also presented findings of an inquiry it had conducted.
The report said they discovered that of the 631 Hajj Group Organisations (HGO), 33 HGOs had charged Rs5,000 extra from each Haji under the pretense of Hajj compensation fund, guarantee or security etc.
“The total number of Hujjaj pertaining to these 33 HGOs comes to 4,480 and the amount involved is Rs2.24 million. So far, out of the 33 HGOs, nine HGOs have returned the extra-charges to the pilgrims and have submitted their affidavits in this regard.”
The report said the FIA had written to the ministry of religious affairs urging it to take action against the remaining HGOs, which were reluctant to return the extra charges.
In response to the FIA letter, the ministry of religious affairs had on March 31 constituted a Complaint Disposal Committee (CDC) to discuss the issue of 33 HGOs, it added.
Meanwhile, the ministry of religious affairs has said the CDC has imposed a fine on the HGOs for not paying back the amount to the pilgrims.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Tuesday submitted a report to the Supreme Court stating that Ahmed Faiz, an accused in the Hajj scam, had been apprehended by Saudi Authorities last week.
The Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Sohail Mahmood submitted the FIA report to the court on Tuesday which is hearing a suo motu case into the 2010 Hajj scam.
The three judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja is scheduled to hear of the case on Wednesday.
A senior official in FIA confided to The Express Tribune that the report was submitted on Tuesday. The report states that Faiz, a building supervisor, who was hiding in Saudi Arabia, had been arrested. However, Saudi Authorities had yet to formally inform the Pakistani government in writing about an extradition timeline.
When the court last heard the case on December 6, 2013, it had directed the FIA to repatriate the accused.
According to the FIA report submitted to the court, the agency had published a notice in Urdu-language newspapers in Saudi Arabia through the ministry of religious affairs for tracing Faiz. A reward of Rs1 million was also offered to the person who would provide information leading to Faiz’s arrest.
Learning about the proceedings, Fiaz is believed to have gone into hiding and was planning to move to either Taif or Riyadh.
“An incident about the dramatic interception and escape was reported by Intelligence Bureau (IB). On the night of June 23, 2014, while Ahmad Faiz was trying to shift his residence to some other place, a group four people (two Pakistanis and two Saudis) intercepted his vehicle and picked him forcibly and moved to an unknown location”, the FIA report added.
The report further adds that the four men were interested in earning the reward money offered by the government of Pakistan or to obtain ransom from his family.
“Muhammad Waqar, who is a son-in-law of the accused, wanted to settle scores with his father-in-law besides earning the reward money. However, Faiz’s sons of managed to trace the location of abductors. They along with 20-25 Pakistanis attacked the hiding place and recovered Faiz.”
Hajj group organisers had overcharged Hajis
Meanwhile, the FIA report submitted to the SC also presented findings of an inquiry it had conducted.
The report said they discovered that of the 631 Hajj Group Organisations (HGO), 33 HGOs had charged Rs5,000 extra from each Haji under the pretense of Hajj compensation fund, guarantee or security etc.
“The total number of Hujjaj pertaining to these 33 HGOs comes to 4,480 and the amount involved is Rs2.24 million. So far, out of the 33 HGOs, nine HGOs have returned the extra-charges to the pilgrims and have submitted their affidavits in this regard.”
The report said the FIA had written to the ministry of religious affairs urging it to take action against the remaining HGOs, which were reluctant to return the extra charges.
In response to the FIA letter, the ministry of religious affairs had on March 31 constituted a Complaint Disposal Committee (CDC) to discuss the issue of 33 HGOs, it added.
Meanwhile, the ministry of religious affairs has said the CDC has imposed a fine on the HGOs for not paying back the amount to the pilgrims.