Pakistan: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) of Pakistan has registered a case against Former Prime Minister Imran Khan and other PTI leaders in connection with their party allegedly receiving prohibited funding.
FIA’s Corporate Banking Circle in Islamabad filed a case in this regard and the first information report (FIR), stated that Arif Masood Naqvi — the owner of the Wooton Cricket Limited — transferred “ill-gotten” money to a United Bank Limited (UBL) account registered under the name of PTI, Pakistan.
To disguise the true nature, origin, location, movement and ownership of these funds, the purpose stated in the ‘SWIFT’ (wired transfer of funds) messages was ‘agreed transfer’. Arif Masood Naqvi is also the founder/owner of Abraaj Group, UAE, which collapsed in 2018. Arif Masood Naqvi lied about the performance of Abraaj’s funds by inflating their value,” the complaint added.
In adherence with UAE Financial Services Violation Acts, the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has imposed severe penalties to the tune of $299.30 million on two Abraaj Group Companies, Abraaj Investment Management Limited and Abraaj Capital respectively.” for running illegitimate activities in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and misusing investor’s money.
It further claimed that Naqvi was also facing trials in the United Kingdom and the United States for cheating investors.
The complaint named Imran Khan, Sardar Azhar Tariq Khan, Saifullah Khan Nyazee, Syed Yunus Ali Raza, Aamer Mehmood Kiani, Tariq Rahim Sheikh, Tariq Shafi, Faisal Maqbool Shaikh, Hamid Zaman and Manzoor Ahmad Chaudhary as the principal signatories/beneficiaries of the PTI account in question.
“Arif Masood Naqvi on behalf of PTI had submitted an affidavit before the Election Commission of Pakistan stating therein that all the amounts collected in the accounts of WCL were submitted into PTI’s account in Pakistan. This affidavit has been proved to be fictitious/forged as two more transactions were also made from WCL to two different accounts in Pakistan in May 2013.”
The FIR further said that 12 CTRs(Currency Transaction Reports)/STRs (Suspicion Transaction Reports) were required to be reported by the UBL management to the authorities but they failed to do so. “Chaudhary Shahid Bashir, the Operation Manager of United Bank Limited’s Jinnah Avenue branch in Islamabad, facilitated these suspicious/illegal transactions by not reporting the aforesaid illegalities to the concerned authorities and also allowed Internet Merchant Acquiring Agreement changing the title of the account to Naya Pakistan”.
Subsequently, the Federal Investigation Agency, Pakistan stated that a case under sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), 477-A (falsification of accounts) and 109 (punishment of abetment if the Act abetted committed In consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment) of the Pakistan Penal code has been registered against Imran Khan, his party leaders and the management of UBL.
They have been booked under Section 23 (penalty and procedure) of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947, also.
The prohibited funding case
Last month, the Election Commission of Pakistan(ECP) issued its verdict in the prohibited funding case — previously referred to as the foreign funding case — against the PTI, which stated that the party did indeed receive prohibited funding.
A three-member ECP bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikander (CEC) Sultan Raja had announced the verdict in a case filed by PTI founding member Akbar S. Babar which had been pending since November 14, 2014.
In the verdict, the commission noted that the party “knowingly and willfully” received funding from Wootton Cricket Limited, operated by business tycoon Arif Naqvi. The party was a “willing recipient” of prohibited money of $2,121,500, it said.
Imran Khan’s Party “knowingly and willfully” also received donations from Bristol Engineering Services (a UAE-based company), E-Planet Trustees (a Cayman Islands private registered company), SS Marketing Manchester (a UK-based private company), PTI USA LLC-6160 and PTI USA LLC-5975 which were “hit by prohibition and in violation of Pakistani laws” Election Commission of Pakistan, claimed.
Besides, PTI Pakistan also received donations through PTI Canada Corporation and PTI UK Public Limited Company. “From both the companies, the amounts received into its accounts of PTI Pakistan are prohibited and in contravention of Pakistani laws.
Collection of Donations from foreign nationals are barred in Pakistan
Collection of donations and contributions from foreign nationals and companies also come under prohibition and in violation of Pakistani laws. “PTI Pakistan has blatantly flouted the law of the land by fundraising campaigns PTI USA LLC-6160 and PTI USA LLC-5975, where the Party was a recipient of donations from 34 foreign nationals and 351 foreign-based companies including Romita Shetty, a US-based businesswoman of Indian-origin which violated the law.
Sources close to law enforcement agencies in Pakistan claimed – if charges are proven then Imran Khan may have to languish in jail for the rest of his life. However, in Army-ruled Pakistan prediction and anticipation are the most difficult subjects.
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