ISLAMABAD: A local court on Friday (Today) sentenced Ahmad Faiz, front-man of former Hajj DG Rao Shakil, to 30 years in prison and fined him Rs50 million.
The prosecutor told the court that accused grabbed billions through poor hajj arrangements and was at large since the beginning of the trial. The culprit was arrested through Interpol.
A special central judge convicted Ahmad on basis of enough evidence and ordered to expand imprisonment if culprit failed in depositing the fined amount.
READ MORE: Hamid Saeed sentenced to 16 years in prison, DG Hajj gets 40 in Hajj corruption case
The Hajj scam had surfaced in 2010 after the then Minister for Science and Technology Azam Swati accused Hamid Saeed Kazmi, former religious affairs minister in the government of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), of his involvement in corruption in the pilgrimage.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan took suo moto notice of the case after receiving a letter by Saudi Prince Bander Bin Khalid Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud who revealed that Pakistani pilgrims were charged more for the residences rented by the ministry near Makkah and Madina.