Tag: FIA

  • ‘PM had a good meeting with my friends’: Jahangir Tareen

    ‘PM had a good meeting with my friends’: Jahangir Tareen

     Disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen on Monday said that lawmakers of the ‘Tareen group’ had a fruitful meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan. Tareen said his group expressed their concerns and were assured of justice. He said that PM has assured them that he would himself look into the case and justice will be done. Pro-Tareen lawmakers met PM Imran last week.

    Tareen also denied being in touch with either the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) or the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

    The Tareen group will decide on what course of action to take after Eid. Senator Ali Zafar was tasked by the PM to ensure that a fair inquiry is being conducted in Tareen’s case and there is no discrimination. Sources say that Senator Ali Zafar has met FIA and the investigating team as well as Tareen’s lawyers and accountants to hear their side of the story. After Eid, once Zafar completes his inquiry, the JKT group will decide how to move forward.

    The PTI leader and his son Ali Tareen were granted an extension in bail from a Lahore banking court in the sugar scandal case. The court ordered the FIA to complete its investigation as soon as possible and submit an inquiry report. Tareen said that the probe against him had been going on for a year and he has provided hundreds of thousands of documents to the court. He said he has never run away from investigation but believes that there is no truth to this case.

  • PM’s meeting with pro-Tareen MPs: Hit or miss?

    PM’s meeting with pro-Tareen MPs: Hit or miss?

    A group of lawmakers supporting Disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen have met Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and expressed their concerns regarding all action against Tareen.

    Speaking to reporters after their meeting in Islamabad, PTI MNA from Faislabad Raja Riaz said it was held in a “very cordial” atmosphere and that the premier had assured them that justice will be done “in every condition”.

    He said the prime minister had sought time to look into their concerns that Tareen was being victimised, promising that “all requirements of justice will be met”.

    The PTI group contended that PM’s advisor on Interior Shehzad Akbar was allegedly misusing the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against Tareen and the mills of Khusro Bakhtiar and Haroon Akhtar were not made part of the investigation, reports said.

    Tareen group presented a charge sheet against Shahzad Akbar to the PM.

    Reports claimed that the prime minister directed Senator Ali Zafar to note all points raised by the Tareen group and said he himself would ensure that justice is done in Tareen’s case.

    Riaz and Nazir Chauhan told the media that prime minister had assured that justice would be done in any case and he would not allow anyone to abuse power.

    Riaz said that the premier has assured the group that he is “personally monitoring” the inquiry against Tareen and will see to it that justice is served.

    “The prime minister has asked for some time and Insha’Allah justice will be served,” the PTI leader added.

    In reply to a question, Riaz said that the group shared their reservations regarding Akbar, after which “the prime minister said he will not allow injustice to be done with anyone and that we should leave it to him and he takes responsibility”.

    Riaz clarified that the prime minister has not “acknowledged” that Akbar has meted out “unfair treatment” to Tareen, but the group has simply shared their concerns and the premier has assured them of looking into it.

    The PTI MNA claimed that the prime minister said: “You are all my allies. Even those who are opposed to me, I wish to tell them, no one will be treated unfairly and justice will be done.”

  • ‘Absolute rubbish’ – Govt reacts to ex-FIA chief’s accusations

    ‘Absolute rubbish’ – Govt reacts to ex-FIA chief’s accusations

    Federal Minister for Law and Justice Farogh Naseem and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar have denied serious allegations levelled by ex-FIA director general (DG) Bashir Memon.

    Reacting to Memon’s statement, wherein he had accused PM Imran among others of framing Justice Qazi Faez Isa and major political player, the premier’s adviser on accountability Akbar vehemently rejected the same.

    He said Memon had committed “slander” and said he had directed his lawyers to initiate legal action against the former head of the FIA.

    “Just seen absolute rubbish uttered by Bashir Memon on Shahzeb show. He was never called for any meeting with PM or myself on QFI (Qazi Faez Isa) issue, and there was no meeting with law minister and him as he claims,” he said in a tweet, “similarly he was never told to start any case against any specific individual. Only case referred to FIA was of sedition by the fed cabinet. I have instructed lawyers in personal capacity to initiate legal action for his slander.”

    Law minister Naseem said all allegations levelled by Memon were false and baseless, adding that he never spoke a word to the former DG FIA about Justice Isa. He also pinpointed that Azam Khan, Shahzad Akbar and Bashir Memon had never showed up at his office, contrary to Memon’s allegations.

    “PM Imran Khan, Azam Khan, or Shahzad Akbar never told me that they had a word about Justice Isa with Bashir Memon,” he added.

  • PM, his accountability aide accused of framing Justice Isa, Shehbaz Sharif

    PM, his accountability aide accused of framing Justice Isa, Shehbaz Sharif

    In a series of explosive revelations, former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General (DG) Bashir Memon has stepped forth with rather damning allegations against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and his team.

    According to reports, he has claimed being told by the premier’s aide on accountability, Shahzad Akbar, to frame Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

    “When we entered his [Akbar’s] room, we were told that a case was needed against Justice Isa,” reports quoted him as saying.

    Judgeship of Supreme Court’s Justice Isa is hanging in balance over a presidential reference against him for concealing assets of his family. He has challenged the verdict of the apex court on the reference, arguing he could not be held answerable for the same.

    While Memon alleged that the case against Justice Isa was a brainchild of the premier, he also claimed being mocked by PM Imran for not going after Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif.

    “He said all he needed to do was to make a phone call to NAB [National Accountability Bureau], and the next day Shehbaz was arrested.”

    Memon also quoted Imran as saying that look at Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s ways and see how things are done there so as to avoid talks about the constitution and law.

  • Fake fingerprints being used to activate SIMs, warns Interior Ministry

    Fake fingerprints being used to activate SIMs, warns Interior Ministry

    The Ministry of Interior has disclosed that criminals are using fraudulent techniques like silicon thumbs impressions to activate SIM cards.

    The Cyber Crime Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has received more than 4,547 complaints of unsolicited/fraudulent calls. These cybercrime activities are financially deceiving common people.

    “It’s a fact that Cybercrime FIA assists the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in tracking the owner of such SIMs. Some culprits are being interrogated,” said the ministry.

    In 2019 and 2020, the Cyber Crime FIA registered 90 First Information Reports (FIRs), 107 accused were arrested while 17 biometric verification (BVS) devices, 25,192 SIMs, and 6,446 silicon thumbs impressions along with a voter list were recovered.

    The loss averted during 2019-20 was R.71.99 million, and the estimated cost of the confiscated items was Rs 91.76 million.

    The Cyber Crime FIA has established a special team in every cybercrime reporting centre to deal with complaints about unsolicited callers who defrauded people and collaborates with the PTA to crack down on such franchises that fraudulently activate SIMs.

  • FIA, NAB to start investigation for fuel shortage

    FIA, NAB to start investigation for fuel shortage

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) have started an investigation against those who were responsible for the shortage of fuel in June 2020.

    The probe has been started because according to the reports, the shortage of fuel had caused a loss of Rs25 billion to the national exchequer in 2020.

    The agencies have asked the Petroleum Division to provide records along with Inquiry Commission reports. During the investigation, NAB will look into the role of Petroleum Division secretary, director general (DG) of oil at the Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division), and oil marketing companies (OMCs) in the petrol crisis.

    Similarly, NAB will also examine the alleged connivance of government officials with OMCs.

    NAB will further investigate the officers of oil refineries, OMCs and the Inter-State Gas System (ISGS) because the provision of licences to the OMCs was a criminal act.

    NAB further added that the officers of different companies were appointed in the petroleum division, and they have allegedly been influencing the policy and decision making, which has resulted in massive losses to the national exchequer.

    According to sources, the federal cabinet had earlier advised the FIA to complete the inquiry within three months. The investigation would later be transferred to NAB from FIA for the collection of funds plundered from the national exchequer.

    Besides NAB, the FIA has also moved to take action and asked the petroleum division and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) to provide relevant details and records of OMCs and the inquiries did to unearth facts behind the petrol crisis.

  • PM, aide continue defending accountability drive

    PM, aide continue defending accountability drive

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has said the government would uphold the law without discriminating between the weak and powerful, as he slammed sugar mill owners for hiking up sugar prices.

    Responding to a question on Jahangir Tareen’s hearings while addressing media persons in Sargodha, the PM said: “I am ready to listen to everyone’s reservations, but there is one thing they should understand. Sugar prices increased by Rs26 in a year or so.”

    An increase of Rs26 per kg in sugar prices translates into Rs120-130 billion, and this huge sum of money went from the citizens’ pockets to the sugar mills, PM Imran Khan said.

    “It is obvious: the government has to work in the best interests of the people and we’ve asked the FIA (Federal Investigation Agency) to probe the matter. During the investigation, several horrific things were revealed to us.”

    The premier said he was ready to speak to those who had reservations against the proceedings, but stressed that the government would uphold the law — the same law that is applicable to everyone.

    PM Imran Khan said the “elite and the powerful are the actual menaces behind the country’s downfall.”

    “If you combine the amount of corruption done by all poor people in jails, it will amount to a maximum of Rs2-3 billion.”

    The premier, speaking on PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif’s bail, said if they are unable to convict people against whom evidence was available, the country could not prosper.

    A day later, on Thursday, his aide on accountability and interior Shahzad Akbar said it was regrettable that a few were threatening watchdogs for questioning them “only for personal gains”.

    He was tweeting on reactions by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to the transfer of 127 kanals of land belonging to the Raiwind residence of the Sharif family back to the government.

    Punjab Revenue Department was ordered, however, a court in Lahore approved the stay order and summoned all parties to the case on April 27. 

    The court of civil judge Faheemul Hassan Shah issued the stay order after Nawaz Sharif’s nephew Yousuf Abbas Sharif and other members of the Sharif family, through their lawyers, approached the court. 

  • ‘FIA was told to file FIRs against Jahangir Tareen, son on WhatsApp,’ senior journalist claims

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has booked estranged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen and his son, Ali Tareen, for fraud and money laundering after it was told to do so by someone over WhatsApp, senior journalist and analyst Arif Hameed Bhatti has claimed.

    According to Bhatti, he possesses details of who sent the WhatsApp message, at what time and when did the other person respond to that message.

    “Even the language used in the draft is not that of the investigation officer,” he said, further saying that the case was registered back on March 22 but the news was leaked over a week later.

    Bhatti’s claims came after Tareens, who are rumoured to be at odds with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan over probe into their alleged involvement in the sugar crisis, were booked by the FIA.

    According to the FIRs dated March 22, two separate cases were registered under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating of public shareholders) and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), read with sections 3/4 of the Anti Money Laundering Act.

    Responding to the development, Tareen lashed out at the FIA and said the accusations against him and his family were “totally fabricated”.

    One of the complaints states that Tareen fraudulently misappropriated shareholder’s money after his company — JDW group — transferred Rs3.14 billion to an associated private company identified as Farooqi Pulp Private Limited (FPML). The FIR stated that the private company is owned by his sons and close relatives.

    “The transfers, especially after FY 2011-2012, were patently fraudulent investments which ultimately translated into personal gains for the family members of the JDW CEO,” the FIR said.

    According to Dawn, it said that during this period, Tareen, his son and other family members purchased cash (US$) from the open market in Lahore in a “structured manner”.

    “Subsequently, in 2016, Ali Khan Tareen remitted approximately US$7.4 Million to the United Kingdom for purchasing properties (to be investigated in detail during the course of investigation) which makes them liable for Anti-Money Laundering investigation,” it said.

    The FIA stated that Tareen, his son, son-in-law Waleed Akbar Faruki and Shahid Akbar Faruki beneficially controlled FPML and personally benefitted from this scheme.

    In the second FIR, the investigation agency said “voluminous withdrawals amounting to at least Rs2.2 billion were fraudulently and dishonestly made through a trusted cash rider.” It noted that Amir Waris, employed as a cashier at JDW’s Corporate Head Office, deposited large amounts into the personal and business accounts of Tareen and his family members.

    “This modus operandi of cash-based misappropriation and money laundering was employed to break the onwards money trail of deposits into personal and business accounts of the accused Tareen and family,” it said.

    It also stated that Rana Nasim Ahmed, JDW CEO, was also given large amounts from the company’s accounts to the tune of Rs600 million. “He claims these humungous amounts as salary, bonuses and ‘gentlemanly-agreed’ benefits.”

  • VIDEO: FIA officer, who asked for girl’s number at Karachi airport, suspended

    An immigration officer of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been suspended over an incident of alleged harassment at the Jinnah International Airport, Karachi.

    The incident took place when an FIA immigration officer reportedly harassed a young woman arriving from Bahrain to Karachi Monday night, with the security agency’s director for Sindh, Amir Farooqi, taking notice of it Tuesday morning.

    The alleged harassment incident took place when, according to the women, the FIA officer in question reportedly asked her for her number and mithai, or sweetmeat, officials said.

    When onlookers filming the suspect asked him questions, he was unable to respond.

    On the other hand, the FIA officer said he had asked the woman for her number to ” include it in the list,” while he asked her for mithai as a joke.

    Departmental action is also being taken against the officer.

  • Porsche Pakistan CEO ‘runs off’ with Rs80 crores in booked orders

    Porsche Pakistan CEO ‘runs off’ with Rs80 crores in booked orders

    The chief executive officer (CEO) of Porsche Pakistan in Lahore has been accused of running off with nearly a billion rupees after conning people in the name of advance booking for high-end cars, whereas the company has termed these claims “false”.

    According to the police, while victims of the scam have registered complaints against Abuzar Bokhari in different police stations across the city, the department has informed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), seeking their help in informing Interpol.

    Help from the international criminal police organisation is being sought for Bokhari’s extradition from England where he allegedly flew off to a few days ago.

    Police further say that Bokhari collected Rs800 million (Rs 80 crores) from people in the name of car registrations and fled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after which he went to England and has not returned since.

    While Bokhari is the founder and CEO of Lahore-based, and Pakistan’s only, Porsche dealership based in Lahore, media reports say he started off with two partners but continued alone with the venture when Porsche formally entered the Pakistani market.

    Porsche’s presence in Pakistan was provisionally launched in 2006 and then formally launched in 2008. Since then, it has been running its operations rather successfully and has grown significantly.

    However, the luxury carmaker has now reportedly removed its official website page on Pakistan.

    “Porsche official website removes page on Pakistan which has details of its Pakistan representative Abuzar Bokhari — accused of leaving the country with Rs800 million in booked orders — here is a screenshot of the cached version of the page,” journalist Omar Quraishi tweeted.

    ‘ALLEGATIONS ARE FALSE’:

    In a statement, Porsche Pakistan said the said claims are false. It said that its CEO doesn’t owe car booking money to anyone and all the registration money was received in the account of Performance Automotive Pvt Ltd (Porsche Pakistan) on behalf of Porsche AG as their appointed representative.

    It said Porsche AG was refusing delivery of the vehicles to Pakistani customers for two years.

    A lull in supply is due to attempts to discredit Porche Pakistan by a ‘controversia;’ business group.

    The statement said Porsche Pakistan was in a legal battle with Porsche AG for this “illegal” refusal on all legal forums.

    The statement alleged that the delay was due to Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE’s alleged understanding with a rival local party it called “an influential and controversial business group” that seeks to get hold of Porsche distribution rights in Pakistan.

    The company concluded, “Porsche Pakistan and its legal team are fully available for any concerned parties or investigative authorities for any information or clarification they may require.