The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Tuesday arrested former Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi from the District Courts Rawalpindi premises, after the court rejected extension in his interim bail. Special Judge Central (SJC) Sohail Nasir resumed the hearing of the Haj scam on Tuesday. After hearing the arguments the court indicted Kazmi in multi-million scam after dismissal of his bail plea.
In his earlier ruling the learned judge expressed displeasure over the FIA working as it failed to present the record. The prosecutor of the FIA presented some solid evidences before the learned judge on which the court dismissed his bail plea and ordered the FIA to arrest Kazmi from the court premises. The court was hearing extension of bail case of Kazmi and defence lawyer was giving arguments for extension of the pre-arrest bail of the former minister.
The defence counsel in his arguments before the court pleaded that his client's name was not included in the FIR and just for being a minister he couldn't be blamed for the scam. He pleaded that the court should grant extension in the pre-arrest bail of the former minister. In his application for extension in pre-arrest bail, the former minister pleaded before the court that he was not involved in corruption regarding Haj arrangements and was being dragged into the scandal on political grounds.
He claimed that the allegations leveled against him were false and fabricated. He insisted he was innocent in the case and stated that the foreign currency account was held by his brother who is currently out of the country and uses the account to send money for the study expenses of Kazmi's children. The FIA investigation team, which arrested Hamid Saeed Kazmi had already moved an application before the court seeking permission to arrest former minister for further investigation in this multi-million corruption scandal, sources privy to investigation told Business Recorder on Tuesday.
They said that the FIA during the hearing on Tuesday presented detailed documentary evidences before the court regarding the direct involvement of the former minister. Details of three accounts, including a forex account were presented before the court, they added. When asked about the arrest of other people whose names are being included in this scam, the FIA sources said that the investigation agency is moving forward and very soon all involved in this scam would be taken to task.