Benazir murder case: Mark Siegel agrees to record statement via video link

US journalist cites security reasons for refusal to appear in person, FIA tells court

RAWALPINDI:

US author Mark Siegel has expressed willingness to record his statement in the Benazir Bhutto murder case through video link.

Siegel, a close friend and confidante of the late prime minister and an important prosecution witness, refused to appear in court in person due to security concerns, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) told an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday.

FIA Special Public Prosecutor Chaudhry Azhar informed ATC-I Judge Rai Muhammad Ayub Marth that the US national has emailed the FIA Joint Investigation Team (JIT) an offer to record his statement via video link.

Earlier, the court had ordered the FIA to contact Siegel to determine how and when he could record his statement. The court had also directed the Punjab government and the interior ministry to make arrangements for a video link in the courtroom to facilitate Siegel.

The FIA prosecutor told the court that after the ATC issued orders, the JIT contacted Siegel, who offered to provide his statement via video link or in person if the FIA would send representatives to the US to take his statement.

The FIA prosecutor also produced a copy of Siegel’s email before the court.

During proceeding on Monday, Sub-Inspector Jamil, who had presented a month-long crime register to the FIA in December 2007, the month when Bhutto was killed in a gun-and-bomb attack at Liaquat Bagh, also recorded his statement as prosecution witnesses.

During the hearing, the statement of Magistrate Mehmood Awan, who had recorded the statement of police officer Ashfq Anwar, was dumped by the court on the request of the FIA prosecutor, who said it was unnecessary. The court later adjourned the hearing, held at Adiala Jail, till May 13.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12^th, 2015.