A prime accused in the Rs 6 billion financial scam of National Insurance Company Limited (NICL), Ameen Qasim Dada, has, reportedly fled the country to avert his arrest despite the fact that his name was on the Exit Control List (ECL). Three other accused in the NICL financial scam, Moonis Elahi, son of former Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, Mohsin Warraich, son of Habib Ullah Warraich and Khalid Anwar are at present in London.
Director FIA Moazzam Jah while talking to Business Recorder neither confirmed nor denied this information, but clarified that the accused did not travel from Karachi airport after July 2010. "I cannot comment on the possible escape of Dada from the country, but according to records he did not use Karachi airport to travel abroad," he added. He, however, made it clear that anyone, whether he/she is his colleague, his superior (DG) or subordinate, found involved in helping Dada will be dealt with according to the law.
He did not respond when he was asked if Waseem Ahmed, Director General FIA may have abetted Dada in his escape from the country. FIA had registered an FIR against NICL Directors including Amin Qasim Dada and Chairman on a formal application of Secretary Commerce, filed on the instructions of Supreme Court of Pakistan. According to the FIA''s official record, the name of Ameen Dada had been placed on FIA watch list to ensure his arrest if he attempts to flee the country.
SBP has been requested to trace hiss account numbers and lockers On November 3, 2010, two Directors of NICL, Syed Naveed Hasan Zaidi and Syed Hur Gardezi were arrested by the FIA. According to Director FIA statement in Supreme Court on January 25, 2011, Ameen Dada was with the DG FIA on November 8, 2010 and therefore he could not arrest him.
Director FIA Karachi had apprised the SC that Dada was not arrested because no case was registered against him at the time ie November 8, 2010. To a question, he stated if he intended to hide information of the whereabouts of Dada, he would not have shared it with Director FIA, Punjab (now Additional Director General), Zafar Qureshi - an official of high esteem within the government and political circles except PML-Q. According to Moazzam Jah, he informed Zafar Qureshi that he had seen Ameen Qasim Dada sitting with the DG FIA Waseem Ahmed, a few days prior to the issuance of his arrest warrants.
"I informed the SC of the exact date of seeing Ameen Dada in the office of Waseem Ahmad," he maintained. To another question, Director FIA Karachi said that he had also offered to conduct a raid on all possible hiding places of Ameen Dada to Additional Director General FIA Zafar Qureshi. "With the arrest of Ameen Dada, most of the issues related to NICL scam will be resolved," he opined.