Scotland Yard passes incomplete money-laundering case

LONDON: Scotland Yard has passed incomplete case file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for the charging decision on Muttahida Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)-related money laundering investigation giving birth to questions about the very future of the whole investigation.

This correspondent has learned from credible sources that the police file was passed to the CPS despite the fact that Counter-terrorism Command Uunit, responsible for investigating the money-laundering case, was aware that the “case file” at the stage of submission to the CPS, around a month ago, was incomplete because of the fact that several people refused to cooperate with the police in its investigations and the police didn’t pursue the suspects rigorously as it routinely does where it wills to do so.

This correspondent has seen evidence first hand as how the police failed to investigate various suspects vigorously. A UK-based businessman is one such example whose name was found on a cash bundle found at the house of Altaf Hussain during June 2013 raid. Further inquiries revealed that the businessman had made payments into account of a political leader. In one instance £1,000 were paid.

The businessman told the police that the political leader asked him to do so. The police asked the businessman to produce bank statements to prove that he was not involved in moving large sums of cash around but since then the businessman has not cooperated with the police and no action  has been taken against him.

It can be disclosed for the first time that at least four businessmen, linked with the MQM, were sent letters by the Scotland Yard to reach London and appear before the police in relation to their own part in facilitating large payments to the MQM from Pakistan, Dubai and Canada. Names of these Pakistani businessmen figure in the bank statements and paper trail available with the investigators at the Scotland Yard. Some of the people sought by Scotland Yard for interviews enjoy influential positions in Pakistan but their names at this stage cannot be disclosed due to sensitive reasons. 

Credible sources have told that out of four, at least two businessmen wanted to cooperate with the Scotland Yard but then changed their mind and stopped corresponding with the police. A source within the MQM confirmed that the police wanted to speak to some of the businessmen linked with the party but the businessmen have gone “elusive”.

Names of these businessmen came onto the police radar during the course of investigation into at the MQM linked bank accounts. It can be revealed that there are around 60 bank accounts which have so far been scrutinised by the police and all these accounts were at one stage controlled by the MQM leadership. Many of these accounts have been shut down now but the history of these accounts is very interesting.

The Scotland Yard investigators didn’t pursue the people vigorously and didn’t seek help of Pakistani authorities under the mutual legal assistance formula and showed half-heartedness. The police could have warned the relevant businessmen of consequences of “preventing the course of justice under the British laws” and could have easily gained help from Pakistan, Dubai and Canada but no appetite was shown on part of the police.

When this correspondent put questions to the Scotland Yard about the scandalous nature of the investigation, a spokesman didn’t deny that the police was unable to interview some people integral to the money-laundering investigation but the spokesman said: “We do not comment on people we have or have not spoken to as part of an investigation.”

When asked that the police could have taken a serious interest in interviewing the people to whom the trail of money goes to and who have been involved in vast suspicious transactions, the police spokesman said: “Witnesses that chose to come forward and give evidence to police as part of an investigation do so of their own volition and sense of duty.”

The spokesman said that “the police do not have the legal powers to compel a person to make a statement during the course of an investigation” but lawyers said that the police could have very easily roped into these people to get them over for interviews but its clear that the police didn’t have the will to do anything substantial. The police have powers which can be used to get a suspect to cooperate and anyone refusing could be arrested, charged and sentences for not cooperating with the police. 

The police spokesman added: “If there is evidence available to suggest that a person may have been involved in criminal activity then they may be arrested or questioned under caution. Officers have continued to work diligently on the money laundering investigation and thoroughly investigate all of the available evidence that is connected with the case. Cash that was seized as part of this on-going investigation has been retained by police, under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, pending further inquiries.”

The police spokesman said that a case file with all of the available evidence has now been submitted to the CPS for a decision to be made as to whether there is sufficient to support a prosecution “at this time”. 

Geo News contacted the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and sought its opinion on a “file case” which is incomplete, especially when some important witnesses have refused to be interviewed by the police and the police unwillingness to go after the important witnesses diligently, the spokeswoman said: “We can only consider a charging decision once we have received a full file from the police.”