ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday said the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has recovered “irrefutable evidence” during its raid at the Safari Hospital which was being used as a front office to stash the complete record of Rs 1.12 billion money laundering by Malik Riaz and Bahria Town.
Sharing a latest development regarding the investigation into the Bahria Town corruption case, the minister told the media that the FIA had discovered important document during the raid which undertaken in accordance with the law.
“Those documents are irrefutable evidence of Malik Riaz and Bahria Town corruption. These evidence exposed involvement of Malik Riaz and the staff of Bahria Town in a massive money laundering,” the minister stressed.
He said the Safari Hospital was used as a front office to hide the evidence, regretting the transportation of the record through the ambulances.
Tarar said the FIA team found Bahria Town staff burning the entire record, but a significant portion has been recovered. He questioned why the record needed to be burned if there was nothing illegal.
The minister confirmed that Khalil, a frontman who managed these affairs for Bahria Town, is now in custody. The evidence establishes links between Bahria Town CFO Amir Rashid, Head of Bahria Town Shahid Qureshi, and a racket of Hawala and Hundi operated by Imran and Qaiser.
He said this discovery points to a major money laundering network through which funds were sent out of Pakistan. “This is just the start of the investigation, and more than this Rs 1.12 billion will come to the fore with further investigation into the case.”
“More details will be shared with the people of Pakistan on further investigation,” he added.
The FIA is further investigating the case and has traced the absconders associated with this issue, he said, urging them to surrender to the law.
He described it as a “mega corruption scandal” involving Malik Riaz and Bahria Town. The minister noted that forensic analysis of the burnt records would be conducted, which he expects will further expose the operation.
Tarar also remarked that while some involved have tried to play the victim, they have caused billions of rupees in damage to the country.
He assured that the rights of residents of Bahria Town will be protected at all costs and that this action is solely against Malik Riaz and those involved in the money laundering.
