After taking note of the serious lapses in the sugar investigation, particularly in Shahbaz Sharif’s alleged Rs 16 billion money laundering case as highlighted by Bol news, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Sanaullah Abbasi has transferred key members of the sugar inquiry team including the Investigation Officers (I.Os) in Shehbaz Sharif and Jahangir Khan Tareen cases.
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With the approval of DG FIA Sanaullah Abbasi, Additional Director HRM Qazi Abdul Hameed issued a notification on Tuesday wherein as many as nine Assistant Directors have been transferred from Punjab to Sindh with immediate effects.
Assistant Director FIA Ali Mardan Shah and Assistant Director Umaid Butt, both were the Investigation Officers (I.Os) in PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif and disgruntled leader of Pakistan Tehreek–i-Insaf (PTI) Jahangir Khan Tareen cases respectively and now have been sent to FIA Sindh.
Similarly, key members of the sugar inquiry team including Assistant Directors Sheraz Umar, Rana Faisal and Zawar Ahmad have also been transferred from Punjab to Sindh.
According to the notification, Assistant Director FIA Immigration Lahore airport Abdul Qayyum, Assistant Director Raja Muhammad Imtiaz, Assistant Director FIA Circle Dera Ghazi Khan Nadeem Ahmad and Assistant Director Immigration Lahore Airport Sibghatullah Khan have also been transferred and sent to FIA Sindh.
Earlier, under FIA’s new Rotation Policy, sugar inquiry team members were not transferred.
According to FIA sources, Ali Mardan Shah, Umaid Butt, Sheraz Umar and Rana Faisal were considered as close confidants of head of the sugar investigation team and Director FIA Lahore Zone-I DIG Dr Muhammad Rizwan.
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“Dr Rizwan, even in the presence of several senior FIA officials, had given recently promoted AD Ali Mardan Shah and AD Umaid Butt, IOs of Sharifs and Tareens, additional charges as Deputy Director Anti-Corruption Circle Lahore and Deputy Director Gujrat Circle respectively.”
Sources further told Bol News that another key member of the sugar inquiry team and recently promoted AD Sheraz Umar was also given additional charge of Deputy Director Gujranwala Circle by Dr Rizwan.
Recently promoted AD Rana Faisal, another close aide of Dr Rizwan, had been ill for the past several months otherwise he could have also been given a lucrative post as well, sources maintained.
An FIA official, seeking anonymity, claimed that several complaints have already been filed against the sugar inquiry team and the top hierarchy have taken notice of that.
“Changes in the sugar inquiry team are on the cards and you will see more changes in coming days,” he further said.
On the other hand, it is also learnt that soon after Shahzad Akbar was dethroned from the accountability process, Prime Minister Imran Khan had a meeting with DG FIA Sanaullah Abbasi to review details in the sugar probe, particularly against the Sharif family.
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DG FIA Sanaullah Abbasi had summoned AD Ali Mardan Shah and a couple of other sugar inquiry team members and got a briefing about the pending investigations. As per sources, Abbasi had expressed his annoyance over the investigation.
