News
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Probe to find out if Khanani, Kalia ‘bribed’ for acquittalBy Hasnaat Malik
ISLAMABAD: The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, on Monday, while taking notice of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general’s media statement that “Khanani and Kalia Forex Company’s owners have used heavy amount of money for their acquittal”, ordered an inquiry into the matter.
The CJP directed the Sindh High Court (SHC) chief justice to appoint a senior judge to investigate the matter and veracity of the FIA chief’s assertion, and submit a report within seven days for further action.
“It is fairly serious allegation apparently levelled inter alia against the presiding officer of the Banking Court, Karachi, which decided the case. Although the allegation is of general nature and does not specify that who and at what level the alleged corruption took place, but apparently it relates to investigation, prosecution, the banking court and requires probe into the matter,” the CJP observed in his order.
FIA chief Waseem Ahmad had alleged that the owners of the Khanani and Kalia Foreign Exchange Company had received a VIP treatment during their detention and spent most of their time in a hospital. A jail doctor kept Javed Khanani and Munaf Kalia under treatment in the hospital without any recommendation of a medical board. They got their release orders issued by the banking court before the completion of the investigation into the money laundering case, the FIA chief had added.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk