ISLAMABAD: Islamabad police allegedly favoured their fellow policemen—who were recently involved in a robbery case in North Korean diplomat’s residence—by not arresting them for two weeks, despite interior minister’s directives, and now all of them have successfully obtained pre-arrest bail, it has been learnt.
A high official of ICT requesting anonymity revealed that, after the incident, the police, despite knowing his location, did not arrest him for two weeks in order to give him some time, so he can manage a pre-arrest bail. Thanks to their helping hand, he was able to secure bail on Wednesday, while other police officials are already on bail. The official claimed: how is this even possible that the accused is using his mobile number and police still failed to trace him thus far.
ASI Malik Asif first obtained transit bail from Lahore lower court, and also managed a pre-arrest bail from the session court Islamabad Wednesday. However, Head Constable Lal Shehbaz and Constable Tariq are on bail till October 30 and 21, respectively. It is noted that the fourth person Malik Sagir—a member of notorious liquor smuggling gang Malik Brothers—who purchased the imported liquor, which was stolen from the North Korean envoy’s residence, is also on bail till October 30. Meanwhile, the housekeeper of envoy is in police lookup.
On October 2, three cops of Shalimar police went beyond their limits and took away valuables worth millions of rupees, including 450 cartridges of high-quality imported liquor, 3,000 US dollars, laptop, gold and diamond ornaments from the residence of North Korean embassy’s First Secretary Hyon Ki Yong.
The robbery came to the fore when Hyon Ki Yong returned from Beijing, China, the very next day of the robbery and found the locks of the house broken up. Subsequently, the diplomat approached Kohsar police station and filed a complaint about the whole episode against his male housekeeper. Afterwards, the Kohsar police station registered an FIR against the servant of the embassy official under section 381 of Pakistan Penal Code on Oct 3.
Well-placed sources privy to the development told Pakistan Today that police successfully recovered almost 2,000 bottles of imported liquor bottles from the alleged illegal police picket in sector F-11/1 and a private house in sector F-10/2.
Police official told that the imported high-quality liquor exceeded the legal amount of liquor allowed to a foreigner and an envoy.
“As the main accused ASI Malik Asif was the serving investigation officer for many years, he knows all the ways and places to hide [the loot], where police and law enforcement agencies could not find; therefore, Islamabad police, despite various desperate attempts, have failed to nab him throughout this month,” he said.
When contacted, SHO police station Kohsar Asjad Mehmood said that the accused police officials, including ASI Malik Asif of Shalimar police station, along with Head Constable Lal Shehbaz and Constable Tariq, have successfully obtained a pre-arrest bail from the lower courts.
However, SHO police station Shalimar Muneer Hussain Jaffri said that on the complaint of one resident, another case had been registered against the said police officials. Afterwards, “we successfully confiscated imported wine,” which was being stored in a private house in street 18 of sector F-10/2 through their alliances, he added. But, like in the other case, all the police officials managed to get bail in this case as well, he said.
