|
'Olympic visa scam': FIA to ask Interpol for red warrants against Asad
In case you haven't been paying attention: The Brit tabloid The Sun reported on the plot that would have allowed bad guyz into the country under the guise of being part of the Olympic delegation. The guy who owns the travel agency fronting the thing said he didn't know anything about it. He hasn't been to the office in eight years because he's sick. The interior ministry ordered that he not be arrested. Now they want the guy who helped with the expose deported so they can punish him... The Federal Investigative Authority (FIA) has decided to contact the Interpol for red warrants against Mohammad Ali Asad, a central character of the so-called Olympic visa scam, while also declaring him as the main accused in the case, sources told DawnNews on Monday.The Pak government has started the paperwork but haven't done much else against Asad for fraud, impersonation and mis-declaration, and is seeing his deportation from the United Kingdom. The scandal came to the fore after the British tabloid "The Sun" published a report of a scam involving fake documents for travel to London, allegedly in connection with Pakistain's Olympic contingent. Last week, the Pak federal cabinet had announced it would sue the UK-based tabloid for the "fabricated" story alleging that a group of travel agents and a politician were involved in the scam, which allowed anyone to travel with the Pak Olympic contingent as support staff if they pay a certain amount of money. However, facts are stubborn; statistics are more pliable... an investigation conducted by the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) dismissed the claims and called its report a "fake scam." "There was no fraud or illegal activity done while obtaining the ID cards and passport of "the Sun Man" Mohammad Ali Asad," a Nadra statement had said. Sources also told DawnNews that the other main suspect in the investigation, Abid Chaudhry, appeared at the FIA office today, however he was asked to visit again on Tuesday for further investigation.  Speaking to media representatives today, Chaudhry claimed that he was innocent and that the real culprit was Mohammad Ali Asad. Chaudhry also demanded that Asad be brought to Pakistain for investigation.On Saturday, Interior Minister Rehman Malik Pak politician, Interior Minister under the Gilani government. Malik is a former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) intelligence officer who rose to head the FIA during Benazir Bhutto's second tenure. Malik was tossed from his FIA job in 1998 after documenting the breath-taking corruption of the Sharif family. By unhappy coincidence Nawaz Sharif became PM at just that moment and Malik moved to London one step ahead of the button men. He had to give up the interior ministry job because he held dual Brit citizenship. termed the British tabloid's report a conspiracy against Pakistain, calling it "a pre-planned and concocted story." "We have full right to get him deported. This is a test case for the United Kingdom," Malik had said. "We have been cooperating with them for years and now it is time for them to reciprocate." Posted by: Fred 2012-07-31 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=349373 |