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Panama Papers JIT levels startling allegations against govt, seeks strict court action
 [DAWN] The joint investigation team (JIT) probing allegations of money laundering against the Sharif family has made startling allegations accusing government institutions and departments of tampering records, creating obstacles in the probe and even threatening members of the six-member team.In a damning application filed with the apex court earlier this week, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the JIT informed the Supreme Court about the various challenges they have been facing in concluding the investigation within the stipulated two-month timeframe. SECP 'tampered' record Led by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Additional Director General Wajid Zia, the JIT alleged in its application that Chairman Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistain (SECP) Zafarul Haq Hijazi "was instrumental in closing the investigation of money laundering case launched against Chaudhry Sugar Mills Limited", which is owned by the Sharif family, in 2016. "This act of backdated closure of investigation... is a criminal act, with a view to facilitate the Respondents (the Sharif family) against whom the present investigation in being conducted," it said. It said the SECP chairman's orders to tamper the record and close investigation against Chaudhry Sugar Mills Limited were executed by SECP Executive Director Ali Azeem Ikram, who was incidentally nominated initially by the chairman to be a member of the present JIT "with a clear intent to subvert the investigation of the JIT". The application further accuses the SECP of restricting its own officers from inquiring about the requests handed to them by the JIT. The JIT said it had asked the SECP to provide any documents pertaining to investigations carried out regarding Chaudhry Sugar Mills or any other company related to the Sharif family. However, women are made to be loved, not understood... an SECP officer ─ whose name is being withheld for security reasons ─ claimed that the SECP chairman did not allow him to check from all concerned departments of the SECP and confirm whether there were other inquiries against companies owned by the Sharif family. Posted by: Fred 2017-06-14 |
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