Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Wednesday said it has filed a case against former federal minister and PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi.
The case, according to the agency, pertains to alleged money laundering, of Rs720 million and has been registered against Moonis Elahi and others.
It was registered following a report by the FIA Anti-Corruption Circle, the first information report (FIR) said.
According to the FIR, a probe against Moonis under the Money Laundering Act was started two years ago.
The FIR further said that the report by the Sugar Commission said that Moonis had allegedly engaged in money laundering.
It should be noted that last year, former prime minister Imran Khan had tasked the FIA to investigate the sugar crisis throughout the country and find out who benefited from it.
Subsequently, a report by the agency released last year claimed that top PTI members as well as Moonis were among those who had allegedly gained from the sugar crisis in the country.
In addition, a money laundering case has been filed against Nawaz Bhatti, nephew of Muhammad Khan Bhatti, the secretary of Punjab Assembly, and Mazhar Iqbal, a peon at RYK Sugar Mills, said the FIR. FIA said that both Bhatti and Iqbal have been arrested.
The FIR added that raids are being conducted for the arrest of another nephew of the Punjab Assembly secretary, Wajid Bhatti.
The development follows reports earlier this week that the FIA had decided to move against Moonis.
FIA sources said on Sunday that “sufficient evidence” has been collected against Moonis after which the agency decided to formally start an investigation against him.
Responding to the development then, Moonis took to his official Twitter account and wrote “Bismillah” while sharing a screenshot of the news, indicating that he welcomes the move.
Today, he was just as defiant, tweeting: “Do what you will. I appeared (in court) before and will appear again. Wait for me. I am coming.”
