A money laundering inquiry has emerged against Najaf Hameed, the brother of former Director General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (DG ISI) Faiz Hameed, as a court cancelled his bail in a fraud case on Wednesday.
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According to a written order issued by the Special Central Court, Najaf Hameed, a former Halqa Patwari of Mouza Pind Parian, Islamabad, is accused of issuing fake and bogus land registry documents during 2009 and 2010 in collusion with other officials. The alleged actions reportedly caused losses to the lawful rights of the original landowner.
The court observed that Najaf Hameed was a public servant who appeared to have misused his official position by entering fraudulent land mutations using official records that were in his exclusive custody. The alleged acts were carried out for personal financial gain, the order stated.
The court further revealed that an inquiry under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) 2010 is also pending against the accused. The inquiry, registered as AMLA Inquiry No. 16/26, relates to allegations of money laundering. The court expressed concern that Najaf Hameed could misuse the concession of bail or abscond if released.
According to the prosecution, the accused fraudulently transferred only 10 marlas of land to the complainant instead of the agreed one kanal. The court remarked that misuse of public office is a serious offence and cannot be ignored.
Agreeing with the prosecution, the court stated that the arrest of the accused was necessary to ensure access to relevant facts and to allow a fair and transparent investigation. It ruled that extraordinary relief such as bail cannot be granted solely on the basis of a complainant’s statement or an alleged settlement.
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Accepting the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) request, the Special Central Court approved the cancellation of Najaf Hameed’s bail. The case was initially registered by the FIA Anti-Corruption Cell in Islamabad and also names Abdul Zahoor and Khalid Munir as co-accused.