KARACHI: Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)’s acting director Sindh Asim Kaimkhani and two other influential persons are influencing the investigation into a case related to malpractices and corruption in Steel Mills Corporation, alleged the complainant of the case in a letter to the judge of anti-corruption court. Sufian Ahmed alleged that Kaimkhani and two officials are hand in gloves with the accused persons and therefore, they have transferred the FIA official who was investigating the case fairly and have appointed another. He submitted that the new IO has been forcing witnesses into giving depositions against him and upon refusal they were being harassed. “He is also threatening the witnesses to elicit depositions of his choice.” Sufian, the complainant of the enquiry (34/2015) and subsequent FIR 16/2016, registered at the corporate crime circle, Karachi had also complained to the FIA’s Economic Crime Wing’s director against them for showing undue favoritism towards accused persons. He submitted that he had sent a complaint to the FIA in August 2015 which was later converted into an enquiry. The inquiry was handed to inspector Imtiaz Memon who had to withstand a lot of pressure from unscrupulous elements to hush up the case. He was latter withdrawn from the inquiry and it was handed over to Inspector Muhammad Iqbal in June 2016. He alleged that the inquiry was handed over to Iqbal at the instances of a high ranking police officer, Amhed Yaar Khan who is said to be an intimate friend of one of the accused persons. After the completion of the inquiry, an FIR16/2016 was lodged and three out of five accused were arrested and charge-sheeted. To his surprise, the case was once again handed over to another investigating officer at the behest of influential persons. He said that the case was handed over to Memon who he alleged will protect the accused persons and influence the fair trial. He requested the higher authorities to change the IO and assign the investigation of the case to the same previous IO who was well-conversant with the case.