Pakistan

NICL scam: FIA raids Moonis Elahi’s firm

Manager of Parvaiz Elahi’s son arrested on charges of opening a fake account and withdrawing Rs300m.

Asad Kharal December 28, 2010

LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested the manager of a firm owned by Chaudhry Moonis Elahi, son of former Punjab chief minister Parvaiz Elahi, in connection with the Rs2.75 billion National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) scam, The Express Tribune learnt on Monday.

An FIA team raided the offices of At-Tahur (Pvt) Limited in the Garden Town neighbourhood of Lahore and arrested its manager Abdul Malik on charges of opening a fake bank account and withdrawing over Rs300 million.

The key accused in the NICL scam – Mohsin Warraich, the son of former state minister for defence production major (retired) Habibullah Warraich – is considered to be a close friend of Chaudhry Moonis Elahi, sources said.

The amount, deposited by the NICL for purchasing properties owned by the Privilege Farm Pvt Ltd and the other owned by Mohsin Habib Warraich, was transferred from a Dubai Islamic Bank account.

Without naming anyone, Abdul Malik told The Express Tribune that the amount was handed over to some other individuals. The accused denied having any account in his name from which the amount was withdrawn.

On Monday, former federal health minister Naseer Khan, the father-in-law of Mohsin Warraich, met FIA’s director in Punjab Zafar Ahmad Qureshi and handed over cheques for Rs80.4 million and Rs13.3 million, respectively.

Interestingly, the arrest was made just after the meeting.

A post-dated cheque for Rs80.4 million in the name of NICL by the accused was also handed over to FIA investigators, which is to be cashed up to December 31.

So in this way the FIA Punjab chapter has ensured all liable recovery from the accused in the NICL scam involving an amount of Rs2.75 billion regarding two land purchase deals.

Responding to the FIA action, Chaudhry Moonis Elahi, who is a member of the Punjab Assembly, said that this action shows that the PML-N and the PPP are hand in glove.

The Q-League would stand firm in the face of political victimisation, he said, adding that it would not be deterred by such tactics.

PML-Q’s Information Secretary Senator Kamil Ali Agha told reporters that the Chaudhry brothers were not linked with the NICL scam in any way.

Accusing the federal government of taking the action at the behest of the Punjab government, he said that such tactics would be counterproductive.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2010.

COMMENTS (14)

Malik T | 13 years ago | Reply Monis Elahi has been sent to Rahman Malik's Dry Cleaning Clinic, where he after investigation will be given a clean chit. Every government including the military juntas have been involved in mud slinging and point sciring, but nobody has or will prosecute any high profile member of corrupt elite and ensure his conviction, because that will set a precedent, which this government will not allow, nor did the Mush junta. There is an unwritten agreement between these thugs, to which ever party they may belong to, that nobody will be convicted, nor will any wealth or assets accumulated through corruption ever be confiscated. Money has been systematically transferred by all these thugs to foreign countries and the country driven to a state of bankruptcy.

Sunny | 13 years ago | Reply In any country where talent and virtue produce no advancement, money will be the national god. Its inhabitants will either have to possess money or make others believe that they do. Wealth will be the highest virtue, poverty the greatest vice. Those who have money will display it in every imaginable way. If their ostentation does not exceed their fortune, all will be well. But if their ostentation does exceed their fortune they will ruin themselves. In such a country, the greatest fortunes will vanish in the twinkling of an eye. Those who don't have money will ruin themselves with vain efforts to conceal their poverty. That is one kind of affluence: the outward sign of wealth for a small number, the mask of poverty for the majority, and a source of corruption for all.

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True+Pakistani | 13 years ago | Reply i wonder how they manage to sleep at night.they only need to look around to see the crushing poverty.i see frail men well into their 80's doing chowkidari and other v petty jobs,earning not more than a 100 Rs per day n who have whole families to feed.seeing people n such a misery makes me feel guilty even for eating a meal or taking rest.if there wasnt so much corruption,these poor old people d b living comfortably on state benefits.

Malik T | 13 years ago | Reply We have a history of polticians, military dictators slinging mud on each other, but never has any of them pursued the prosecution of any corrupt person and taken the case to its conclusion by convicting them. This government cannot afford to set a precedent of punishing a corrupt member of the ruling elite. The Khaki elite has always saved their corrupt former or serving generals and so has our bureaucracy, although it is the poor tax payers and national assets which has been pilfered and it is the national wealth which has been laundered.

abdullah | 13 years ago | Reply @only normal person here y dnt u accept d fact dat he has done d corruption

Hanif | 13 years ago | Reply When People are dying just for the food and the whole country is under threat coz of bomb blasts and the massive corruption such action, like FIA has taken against corrupt influential and so called political person, frankly gives a ray of hope of betterment. Please crush all those who have ruined the whole society, nevertheless, the action should be irrespective of political/ cultural association.

The Only Normal Person Here. | 13 years ago | Reply I think PML N is behind this trap.

Mulla Toofhan | 13 years ago | Reply Let the message be sent to all those who are Guilty "If you do the CRIME you'll have to do the TIME" great job FIA.

Footnotes | 13 years ago | Reply Bravo to DIB and bias laws of Dubai .

Footnotes | 13 years ago | Reply Take them to the laundry get the money back to the displaced people. Dont let it die its own death and set a record of transparency. Enough of the rich kids legacy who think they are above law.

shumayel | 13 years ago | Reply PPP using coercive and extortion measures to seek support. Chadry shujat is reported to have asked for PM slot and center position in punjab in turn for support for ppp which mr.zardari angrily rejected...that all explains this. they are offering heavy bribes to gain support. PPP is going down big time.

abdullah | 13 years ago | Reply great work done fia these shameless creatures r actually taking our taxpayer money

Qasim | 13 years ago | Reply right action taken, well done FIA!!!!

Ahsanullah Mehsud | 13 years ago | Reply well done keep it up. No escape for black sheep's.

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