Bhatti remanded in FIA custody in money laundering case

LAHORE: A local court on Wednesday handed over Muhammad Khan Bhatti, former principal secretary to chief minister Punjab, to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on a 3-day physical remand in a money laundering case.

The FIA officials produced Muhammad Khan Bhatti before Judicial Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Virk at district courts and sought his 14-day physical remand for investigations.

The investigation officer submitted that a case had been registered against the accused under Sections 3 and 4 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act after the recovery of Rs 10 million from his residence.

The court agreed with the stance of the FIA authorities and handed over Muhammad Khan Bhatti to the agency on three-day physical remand.

The court ordered the FIA authorities to produce the accused on the expiry of the remand term, March 25.

The FIA had arrested Muhammad Khan Bhatti after an anti-corruption court granted post-arrest bail to him in another case, earlier in the day.

Meanwhile, an anti-corruption court on Wednesday granted post-arrest bail to Muhammad Khan Bhatti in a case registered by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab on charges of corruption and receiving a commission.

The court ordered Muhammad Khan Bhatti to submit surety bonds of Rs 5 million for availing the benefit of bail. Anti-Corruption Court Judge Ali Raza Awan heard the post-arrest bail petition of Muhammad Khan Bhatti.

Advocate Amjad Pervaiz represented Bhatti before the court and submitted that ACE Punjab had registered a case against his client on charges of corruption and kickbacks but no evidence was available against him.

He pleaded with the court for a grant of post-arrest bail to his client. However, the ACE''s prosecutor opposed the bail plea during the proceedings.