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LAHORE/ISLAMABAD:
A local court in Lahore has placed six officers of the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) – accused of accepting bribes – in the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for three more days – until November 3.
The FIA on Friday presented the accused – including Additional Director Chaudhry Sarfraz, Deputy Director Shoaib Riaz, Ali Raza, Zawar, Yasir Gujja – before the court of Judicial Magistrate Naeem Wattoo in handcuffs at the end of their three-day remand period.
During the hearing, the FIA submitted its investigation report, stating that a total of Rs42.55 million was recovered from the accused officials.
Defense counsel, advocate Munir Bhatti, argued that the FIA had no evidence of a single transaction and alleged that the case was being unnecessarily sensationalized on social media, making a fair trial impossible.
After hearing the arguments, the court remanded the accused for three more days and ordered the FIA to produce the accused again on November 3.
Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday also reserved its verdict on the petition filed by the wife of NCCIA Deputy Director Muhammad Usman seeking his reinstatement.
During the hearing, DSP Legal Sajid Cheema presented a report before the court, stating that a corruption case had been registered against Usman and he was now in custody.
