ISLAMABAD – The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that available documentary evidence incriminated MPA Moonis Elahi, son of PML-Q leader Pervez Elahi, of involvement in the NICL scam.
The FIA also informed the court that Rs 1.68 billion had so far been recovered, while efforts were underway for recovery of the remaining Rs 42 million. Appearing on notice, FIA Additional Director General Zafar Qureshi submitted a progress report on the scam before a three-member bench led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
Qureshi said a commercial plot measuring 20 kanals and two marlas at Lahore Airport Road was purchased by NICL for Rs 1.06 billion in 2009 from Mohsin Warraich, while its market value of the land was Rs 150 million only, resulting in a loss of Rs 915.3 million to the national exchequer. He said 10 accused were identified in the case, of which seven were arrested and three, Mohsin Habib Warraich, Javed Syed and Amin Qasim Dada, were proclaimed offenders. He also mentioned that they had taken various steps for their arrests in foreign countries.
The FIA investigation report said Moonis was on physical remand with FIA and he had so far failed to negate the allegations and could not produce rebuttal of the evidence recorded by FIA. The FIA report said Moonis “tried his level best to mislead the investigation by non-cooperation and trying to conceal the facts by giving false statements and denied his close relations with accused Mohsin Habib Warraich, but it has been proved that both the accused had jointly traveled abroad 19 times which depicts their close relations.”
The FIA report also said the accused could not produce any documentary or oral evidence in his defence rather he tried to politicise the criminal investigation through the media. Giving details of the ill-gotten money of Rs 320 million, the report said Rs 120 million had been traced in an account related to Moonis. Moonis also laundered an amount of Rs 91.2 million in the account of his wife Tehreem Elahi at ABL Liberty Market Branch through 14 Foreign Telegraphic Transfers (FITs) originated from Dubai in an informal channel by using co-accused Khalil.
“The accused reluctantly and apologetically disclosed that he had just started his political career and these cases had ruined his prospects. If he himself returns Rs 320 million, his trouble will shoot up. Under these circumstances his elders and the elders of Mohsin Habib have decided to return back the amount through the same channel in which they used to get it, so that his political career could be saved.”
