LONDON: The Scotland Yard on Monday extended the bail of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief, Altaf Hussain, here till February 2016 in the money-laundering case against him and five others. Altaf appeared for the second time at the Southwark Police Station with his aides since his arrest and appearance in June 2014. During the probe, he was interviewed for more than two hours and was asked questions about money laundering as well as Dr Imran Farooq’s murder case. He arrived at the police station with his colleagues Muhammad Anwar, Barrister Farogh Naseem, Barrister Saif, Babar Ghauri, Nadeem Nusrat, Dr Farooq Sattar and others. He was accompanied inside the police station by his lawyer and an Urdu language interpreter. The money laundering inquiry against the MQM chief was initiated after the police raided the MQM’s office for an investigation into Imran Farooq’s murder case in December 2012. Altaf was arrested on June 3, 2014 and later released on bail on June 7, 2014. The Metropolitan Police on April 14 this year granted an extension in the bail to the MQM chief till July 9, which was later extended till October 5. Altaf was warmly received by his followers at the party’s International Secretariat. MQM activists said that the party had been vindicated in its stance that it had never been involved in any criminal activity. The Scotland Yard confirmed to The News that Hussain’s bail had been extended till a date in February next year. The police said that the investigation into money laundering goes on. Speaking to his followers at the International Secretariat, Altaf said that he had not done anything wrong and all the allegations were wrong. He condemned the ban on him by the Perma and said that it was a violation of his rights. Syed Ali Raza Abidi, Barrister Saif, Barrister Farrogh Naseem, Dr Farooq Sattar, and Khawaja Sohail reached London to be with Altaf at this time. Others accused in money laundering investigation are Muhammad Anwar, Sarfraz Merchant, Tariq Mir, Latif Jiva and Yasin Haji. All of them are also due to return to police stations this week and next week. The Scotland Yard is carrying out investigations under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) 2002. The principal money laundering offences are now found in sections 327, 328 and 329 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. The new money laundering offences come into force on February 24, 2003. Money laundering is the process by which criminal proceeds are sanitised to disguise their illicit origins.
