Ex-Pak FIA chief Bashir Memon Quizzed on aiding foreign financial crime suspect

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) chief of Pakistan Bashir Memon was probed on January 1 for assisting a man accused of conducting international financial crimes and failing to prosecute the individual’s money laundering allegations.

Pakistan Prime Minister

An official told Dawn, “Memon appeared before a combined investigation team via video link. He was quizzed about allegedly facilitating Omar Farooq Zahoor in two cases of financial crimes in Zurich and Oslo, and for human trafficking reported during his tenure as the FIA Director-General”.

It is learned that when Memon was pushed for answers, he left the meeting abruptly. Also, two Foreign Ministry officials appeared before the FIA Lahore probe team via video link for their failure in getting the suspect arrested.

As per the Dawn reports, “Two Foreign Ministry officials, Middle East Director Saeed Sarwar and Dubai Deputy Consul General Giyan Chand responded to allegations as to why they did not help the agency extradite the suspect (to Pakistan”.

According to the officials, the suspect was currently in UAE and the agency was not backed by the officials in question.