Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Sanaullah Abbasi has not withdrawn transfer orders of members of the sugar inquiry team as requested by sugar inquiry team head and Director FIA Lahore Dr Rizwan, Bol News has learnt.
Even seven days have passed, according to sources within FIA, DG FIA Sanaullah Abbasi has not withdrawn till filing of this report his orders of transferring five members of sugar inquiry team including Assistant Director Ali Mardan Shah and Assistant Director Umaid Butt.
Read more: FIA Lahore director requests DG to cancel transfers of sugar inquiry team members
Ali Mardan Shah and Assistant Director Umaid Butt were the Investigation Officers (I.Os) in PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif and disgruntled leader of Pakistan Tehreek–i-Insaf (PTI) Jahangir Khan Tareen cases respectively and now have been sent to FIA Sindh.
Similarly, the DG had transferred other members of the sugar inquiry team including Assistant Directors Sheraz Umar, Rana Faisal and Zawar Ahmad have also been transferred from FIA Punjab to Sindh.
According to sources, Abbasi had taken notice 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 and transferred key members of the sugar inquiry team including the Investigation Officers (I.Os) in Shahbaz Sharif and Jahangir Khan Tareen cases.
With the approval of DG FIA Sanaullah Abbasi, Additional Director HRM Qazi Abdul Hameed had issued a notification on February 1, 2022 (Tuesday) wherein as many as nine Assistant Directors were transferred from FIA Punjab to Sindh with immediate effects.
Dr Rizwan, on the other hand had immediately written a letter to DG FIA on last Wednesday, requesting him to withdraw his notification as members of sugar inquiry team doesn’t fall under FIA’s Rotation Policy of 2021. According to sources, transfer orders of close confidants of Dr Rizwan haven’t been reversed as yet.
Moreover, it is also learnt that till Monday evening, all the five members of sugar inquiry team haven’t relived of their charges as yet to report to FIA Sindh.
According to sources, newly appointed Advisor to Prime Minister on Accountability Musaddiq Abbasi had also visited FIA Lahore office on Wednesday and Thursday (February 2 and February 3) to discuss key pending matters including the sugar inquiry and Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) cases.
Read more: Sugar inquiry: Dr Rizwan confesses his ‘jewels’ lacked relevant experience
According to sources, Dr Rizwan and his sugar inquiry team had briefed the Advisor on the sugar probe and its findings on Thursday.
Notably, 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.
It is also important to mention here that Dr Rizwan and his team has been accused of allegedly taking bribe in various cases to facilitate accused persons. Dr Rizwan had himself admitted to this scribe that an inquiry with similar nature of charges was pending against him at FIA Lahore. He had told that he was ready to face the inquiry from any FIA official.
Earlier, former Advisor to PM on accountability Shahzad Akbar was dethroned from the accountability process due to his failure to perform up to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s expectation, particularly vis-à-vis Sharif family cases.
