Pakistan: Ex-FIA chief Bashir Memon quizzed on aiding foreign financial crime suspect

Former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) chief Bashir Memon was probed on January 1 for assisting a man accused of conducting international financial crimes and failing to prosecute the individual's money laundering allegations. An official told Dawn, "Memon appeared before a combined investigation team via video link. He was quizzed about allegedly facilitating Omar Farooq Zahoor in two cases of financial crimes in Zurich and Oslo, and for human trafficking reported during his tenure as the FIA Director-General". 

It is learned that when Memon was pushed for answers, he left the meeting abruptly. Also, two Foreign Ministry officials appeared before the FIA Lahore probe team via video link for their failure in getting the suspect arrested. 

As per the Dawn reports, "Two Foreign Ministry officials, Middle East Director Saeed Sarwar and Dubai Deputy Consul General Giyan Chand responded to allegations as to why they did not help the agency extradite the suspect (to Pakistan". According to the officials, the suspect was currently in UAE and the agency was not backed by the officials in question. 

Memon granted protective bail

Earlier, Sindh High Court granted a 15-day protective bail to Bashir Memon in connection to allegedly facilitating international fugitive Zahoor. Memon mentioned that FIA DG and Lahore director as respondents and apprehended that agency might arrest him and frame him before approaching the trial court. He cited 'political reasons' and further pleaded for four weeks of protective/transitory bail. 

After he made an explosive claim during his tenure as the FIA Director-General, Menon has been in news for quite a while now. According to Dawn report, he was summoned to the 'highest office' in the country and asked to file a case related to terrorism against Vice President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N), Maryam Nawaz's social media cell following a photograph of the premier's wife Bushra bibi was circulated online. 

According to Memon, corruption cases against PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif and his family were pursued by him as he was pressured to do so. He further mentioned that Prime Minister Imran Kahn, Law Minister Farogh Naseem, and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior and Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar pressured him to register a case against Justice Qazi Faez, Dawn report stated. 

(With ANI inputs)

Image: AP