The Supreme Court on Thursday warned the Director General (DG) Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Waseem Ahmed against adopting a lenient approach in probing the alleged corruption and mishandling of Haj affairs, terming his conduct as disappointing keeping in view the nature of the issue.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry expressed indignation over the decision of the DG to entrust the investigation to a grade-16 officer. 'This is a high-profile case involving prestige of the country but an inspector of the FIA has been appointed for the investigation. How an inspector could investigate the Secretary or Minister for Religious Affairs, the Chief Justice wondered.
"This is the height of negligence," he added.
Lamenting the state of investigation, Justice Javed Iqbal asked the DG to take extraordinary steps towards dispelling the impression that 'bigwigs' were not answerable in this country.
Meanwhile, the six-member special bench hearing the case directed Federal Minister of Science and Technology, Azam Khan Swati to submit documentary evidence substantiating scale of massive corruption in Haj affairs till December 13. Swati insisted that Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Hamid Saeed Kazmi was the 'lynchpin' in the Haj affairs corruption case.
At court's query, Waseem Ahmed informed that the corruption was of millions of rupees however, recovery had yet to be made. FIA chief's statement that an "interview" of Minister for Religious Affairs has been conducted prompted Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday to ask him under which law he had ordered "interview" and why statement of the minister was not recorded according to the law.
"Are you a TV anchor that you are conducting interviews instead of recording statements," questioned Justice Ramday but Waseem Ahmed, DG FIA even did not know the relevant provision of the law meant for recording statement of an accused. Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry observed "this novel procedure of investigation is not understandable."
Justice Javed Iqbal, pointed out to the DG FIA that FIR registered against the accused was not appropriate. He referred to several provisions of law that were to be incorporated in the FIR and said it entails provisions of bailable and lesser punishment. Earlier, Waseem Ahmed told the bench that in view of the recommendations of the committee of two senators and three MNAs the FIR was registered in the case.
During the hearing, former Director General Haj, Rao Shakeel denied allegations of corruption and said that accommodation for all the pilgrims was hired on merit. He said that he dismissed an officer Ahmed Faiz on corruption charges. The court directed him as well to submit his statement on or before the next date of hearing. Justice Javed Iqbal added that he hadn't seen corruption of this magnitude in his 28 years' professional life.
The court had taken notice of media reports, an appeal filed by Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro, a parliamentary committee member who recently visited Saudi Arabia, accusing officials of the Haj Directorate of involvement in corrupt practices, complaints sent by three members of the National Assembly and two of the Senate, a letter sent to the Chief Justice by Saudi Prince Bandar Bin Khalid Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud alleging embezzlement and a number of applications received by Justice Ramday in person during the performance of Haj from pilgrims narrating their ordeals and complaining about corruption and mismanagement in Haj arrangements. In addition, 22 pilgrims had submitted an application narrating corruption and miseries they faced in performance of Haj.
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