Altaf summoned as UK starts money laundering trial

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The proceedings of a highly anticipated money laundering case kicked off in London with a magistrate issuing summons for Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) boss Altaf Hussain along with other suspects.

Hussain was arrested in April on suspicion of money laundering by Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) as thousands of people in his home city of Karachi staged a sit-in calling for his release. He was later freed on bail, which was extended afterwards.

The magistrate had also legally bound Sarfaraz Merchant, Iftikhar Qureshi and Tariq Mir for producing themselves in court.

Among the respondents, only Merchant appeared before the court in the first hearing, which was turned in-camera in the middle of the proceedings.

Reports have it that on the behest of MPS, the magistrate barred the media and other members of the public from attending the hearing any further.

It must be mentioned here that Merchant was questioned by New Scotland Yard at a London Police Station in April in the same case –a day after Hussain’s five-hour long grilling. After hours of interrogation, Merchant’s bail was extended till July 2015.

On the other hand, Altaf Hussain and Tariq Mir have begged the court for some time to respond to charges in person.

British police raided Hussain’s London residence in 2012 and 2013 over money-laundering claims. Two other men were arrested over the allegations in December last year and have been bailed until September pending further investigations.