Karachi FIA registers another case against Mohsin Baig

KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Karachi, Anti-Corruption Circle (ACC), has registered another case against journalist Mohsin Baig under the allegations of interference in a case of FIA, inducing and bribing FIA officials, money laundering and others.

The First Information Report (FIR) number 01/2022 has been registered against journalist Mohsin Baig, a private person Aliullah Achakzai, Gulzar Qamar, an official of FIA, Islamabad, and Ahmad Khan Mirani, a former Sub-Inspector of FIA Karachi.

In the said fresh case, Mohsin Baig has been blamed of inducing, bribing and threatening to get undue favor for a businessman Abdul Wasay in two cases of smuggling and money laundering of the State Bank Circle (SBC) of FIA, Karachi.

Earlier on February 16, 2022, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had arrested journalist Mohsin Baig from his home, Islamabad, in relation to a case filed by Federal Minister for Communications Murad Saeed over 'defamatory' remarks made by the journalist as a guest in a talk show.

According to the content of the fresh FIR 1/2022 registered at Karachi’s ACC on the compliant of Sub-Inspector of ACC, FIA Karachi, during the course of an inquiry of FIA, it has come on record that two cases bearing FIR numbers 8/2021 and 9/2021 were registered at the FIA State Bank Circle (SBC), Karachi, against accused Abdul Wasay and others on the allegations of smuggling of goods, contraband items, illegal business of Hawala, Hundi and money laundering of billions of rupees.

During the investigation of above cases, accused Mohsin Baig and accused Aliullah Achakzai, through an official of FIA Islamabad Gulzar Ahmad, induced former FIA Karachi official Ahmad Khan Mirani, then Investigation Officer (IO) of the cases, to give illegal favour to accused Abdul Wasay. On the inducement IO of the case, Mirani demanded Rs50 million whereas the deal was finalized for Rs35 million, added in the FIR.

In accordance with the evidences collected so far, the accused IO, SI Mirani, remained in contact with accused Mohsin Baig and the official of FIA Islamabad in those days. For paying the bribe amount to the IO of the case, Mirani accused that Aliullah Achakzai, Mohsin Baig and FIA Islamabad official Gulzar Qamar travelled from Islamabad to Karachi, gave bribe amount to IO Mirani and after receiving the bribe, the IO of the case Mirani could not give favor to accused Abdul Wasay. On this, accused Aliullah made a compliant to the secretary interior against SI Mirani, the FIR further added.

The FIA FIR concluded that the accused Mohsin Baig threatened FIA officials by misusing his position as a journalist and on such threats, the FIA issued a notice for the recording of his statement regarding inducing and bribing FIA officials. In order to avoid such an investigation, the accused Mohsin Baig started publishing news in electronic, social and print media regarding illegal gratification received by FIA officials from different businessmen. The above facts also substantiated that accused Mohsin Baig, in connivance with his accomplices, accused Aliullah Achakzai and accused FIA Islamabad official Gulzar Qamar, of inducing, bribing and threatening FIA officials of dire consequences.

Mohsin Baig was a part of a TV panel last week in which the anchor and the guest had questioned the prime minister’s decision to award Murad Saeed the top prize in a ceremony celebrating the top 10 best performing federal ministries.

Saeed subsequently registered a first information report (FIR) against Baig with the Cybercrime Wing of the FIA in Lahore under Section 20 (offenses against the dignity of a natural person), 21-D (offenses against the modesty of a natural person and minor) and 24 (cyber stalking) of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 read with Sections 500 (defaming army officers) and 555 (statement conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code, on February 16, 2021 and within the 30 minutes of lodging of FIR of the minster, a team of FIA Islamabad reached his home to arrest him.