Register criminal case against SECP Chairman: FIA

ISLAMABAD: Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has confirmed the record tampering of Chaudhry Sugar Mills in the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) after the complaint by the Joint Investigation Team (JIT).

A four-member FIA team constituted by the Supreme Court to look into the allegations by the JIT probing money laundering allegations against the Sharif family proved the record tampering.

The FIA report has been submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan in which it has been stated that SECP Chairman Zafar Hijazi is responsible for tampering with the records.

The report says that SECP directors Ali Azeem and Maheen Fatima have also been found guilty of negligence, and recommends departmental proceedings against these 'irresponsible officers'.

Furthermore, the inquiry committee of FIA, who also recorded statements of 12 officers, found SECP chairman guilty of "misconduct by passing illegal orders and pressuring his subordinates to do illegal acts, therefore a criminal case under Sections 466, 472 PPC read with 5 (2) PCA 1947 be registered against him".

It has been disclosed that Zafar Hijazi had on June 29, 2016, ordered Ali Azeem and Maheen Fatima to close the inquiry of Chaudhry Sugar Mills in the date of January 2013. He also pressurized his subordinates to forge the records. 

Earlier, SECP Director Maheen Fatima had accused the SECP chairman of exerting intense pressure on her to blame the Panamagate JIT of misbehaving with her during an interrogation session.

In her statement to the probing team, she asserted that the money laundering investigation against Chaudhry Sugar Mills was closed on the chairman's directives.

The director has further accused the chairman of threatening her with dire consequences including transfer to Gilgit-Baltistan on defiance of his orders.

The Panamagate JIT had previously complained to the top court that SECP had allegedly tampered with the record, apparently to favour the Sharif family who owns Chaudhry Sugar Mills. The court had then formed a team of the FIA to probe into the allegations.

Record tampering controversy deepened when SECP claimed it had closed the probe against Chaudhry Sugar Mills in 2013 on money laundering charges, before the PML-N came to power, but signatures on the documents showed the inquiry was closed in 2016. 

Meanwhile, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has written to the Interior Ministry to include Chairman of Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) in Exit Control List (ECL) after he was held responsible for tampering of record that was forwarded to Panamagate Joint Investigation Team (JIT).

According to the letter, FIA needs to interrogate SECP Chief Zafar Hijazi further which is why he should be banned from leaving the country.

The report says that SECP directors Ali Azeem and Maheen Fatima have also been found guilty of negligence, and recommends departmental proceedings against the 'irresponsible officers'.

The inquiry committee recorded statements of 12 officers and found SECP chairman guilty of "misconduct by passing illegal orders and pressuring his subordinates to do illegal acts. It called for lodging a case under Sections 466, 472 PPC read with 5 (2) PCA 1947 against him. - NNI