Court acquits man of money laundering and illegal betting charges

A special court (offences in banks) has acquitted Aftab Ahmed alias Atif Dollar in a Federal Investigation Agency’s case pertaining to fraud, money laundering, gambling and illegal betting charges, observing that there is no probability of the applicant being convicted in the case if the case is proceeded further.

Applicant Aftab Ahmed had filed an acquittal application with the court, submitting that he was falsely implicated in the case. The applicant’s counsel Shumail Sikandar submitted that the applicant was not sent up for trial by the investigation officer in the supplementary final charge sheet.

He submitted that the applicant was not involved in the betting game nor any of his bank accounts was involved for sending money abroad or receiving the said amount in Pakistan. The counsel said no connection of the applicant has been found by the investigation officer with the co-accused in the case and the applicant has been exonerated by the full team of investigation which included the investigation officer, a director legal, an additional director a director of the FIA, who have all perused the investigation papers and approved exoneration of the applicant from the charges.

He said there was no probability of the applicant being convicted in the case; therefore, he was entitled to acquittal as there was no direct evidence against him. The special public prosecutor submitted that since the applicant was not sent up for trial he supported the investigation report of the FIA and submitted that he had no objection if the application for acquittal was allowed.

The court after perusal of the investigation report observed that since the applicant has been let off and not sent up for trial; therefore, there was no probability of him being convicted in any offence for as per the prosecution no evidence was available with the prosecution against the applicant.

The court observed that as per the investigation officer, no banking transaction connection came on record of Aftab Ahmed alias Atif Dollar with other accused persons. The court observed that co-accused Jabbar Ameen alias Pan Mandi and Waqas alias Prince have already been acquitted by the court on the similar facts and grounds.