ISLAMABAD, Dec 09 (APP): The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Monday arrested five individuals allegedly involved in the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) fake appointment case after the dismissal of their interim bail by a Special Court.
The accused include former Manager Accounts Arshad Majeed, his son Taimoor Arshad, Saad Yousaf, Qaiser Javed and Fawad Khan. The FIA initiated the case, alleging the involvement of the accused in facilitating fraudulent appointments within the APP. Special Court’s Judge Hamayoun Dilawar heard the case wherein Investigation Officer Ehtesham Gondal opposed the pre-arrest bail petitions, arguing that sufficient evidence had been collected to substantiate the charges.
The court, after hearing the arguments, rejected the bail pleas and ordered the arrest of the accused. Representing APP, lawyer Hussnain Haider Thaheem argued that Arshad Majeed played a pivotal role in enabling the disbursement of salaries to 20 individuals appointed without legitimate documentation. He informed the court that the investigation revealed irregularities that pointed to systematic misuse of authority, with Arshad Majeed allegedly at the center of the scheme.
Thaheem further requested the court to include the names of former Assistant of Accounts Moazzam Javed Khokhar and former Manager HR Khawaja Asif in the FIR. He claimed their roles required further scrutiny to ensure accountability and fairness in the investigation.
The FIA had earlier stated that the fake appointments caused a significant financial loss to the APP and undermined transparency in its recruitment processes. The agency continued its investigation to identify additional individuals involved in the alleged fraud.
It is to be mentioned that the FIA had registered an FIR against 20 individuals who were fraudulently appointed by Moazzam Javed Khokhar, Haseeb Ahsan, Former Manager HR and Afzal Hans by using fake signatures of Managing Director APP and other officers. They also allegedly took huge amount from the accused as bribe for illegally appointing them in APP by misusing their authority and caused massive financial loss to the public exchequer.
According to the FIA, the FIA Anti-Corruption Circle Islamabad, under the supervision of its Director Shahzad Bukhari and Deputy Director Muhammad Afzal Khan Niazi, launched an investigation into the scam after receiving complaints from various sources. The investigation revealed a complex web of corruption and deceit, with Manager Accounts Arshad Majeed Ch at the center of the scandal.
Sub-Inspector (SI) Ihtesham Gondal has arrested several accused illegal recruits namely Taimoor Arshad, Fawad Ahmed Khan, Saad Yousaf and Qaiser Javed including the main culprit behind the scam, Manager Accounts Arshad Majeed Ch, in connection with an illegal recruitment scandal in state run news agency.
SI Ihtesham Gondal made arrests after the dismissal of pre-arrest bail by the Special Judge Central (SJC) Islamabad, paving the way for the FIA to apprehend those involved in the scam.
According to FIA sources, the accused individuals were involved in a massive recruitment scam, where they allegedly embezzled funds and manipulated the recruitment process. The scam is believed to have caused significant financial losses to the APPC and national exchequer and undermined the integrity of the recruitment process.
The FIA has arrested several accused individuals, including Arshad Majeed Ch, and is currently conducting further investigations to uncover the full extent of the scam. The agency is also taking steps to recover the embezzled funds and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
The FIA said that the Anti-Corruption Circle Islamabad remains committed to rooting out corruption and ensuring transparency and accountability in all sectors. The agency urges citizens to come forward and report any instances of corruption or wrongdoing, and assures that all complaints will be thoroughly investigated and acted upon.