Middleman, buyer in Ayyan’s real estate deal to be arrested
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RAWALPINDI: Investigators in the Ayyan Ali case have decided to arrest a middleman and a buyer in the deal for the files of residential plots which the model claimed to have sold. The arrest warrants are expected to be issued soon.
Sources close to the investigation revealed that the Customs Investigators have decided to arrest the middleman Mumtaz, who she claimed had arranged the deal for the five plots she sold in Bahria Town as well as a buyer, identified as Awais Ahmed.
The investigators have summoned the two men twice, since the investigation was launched, but they failed to appear before the investigators to record their statements. It is expected that they will be arrested as soon as their arrest warrants are issued.
Also read: Zardari laundered money through Ayyan: Zulfiqar Mirza
Supermodel Ayyan Ali was arrested in March from Benazir Bhutto International Airport, after she was caught attempting to smuggle over $500,000 out of the country.
In her statement, Ms Ali had told the investigators that she had made the money by selling the files for five residential plots in Bahria Town, Karachi. Ms Ali’s lawyers had already submitted documents related to the deal. The details of the sale were written on the letter pad of an estate agency called ‘First Choice’.
The model also claimed that she had received the amount in cash, in the form of US dollars. The buyer of the files of the plots was identified as Mumtaz, who had facilitated the deal on behalf of Najeeb Haroon a well-off businessman residing in Dubai with close links to a former federal minister.
While Najeeb Haroon appeared before the investigators and recorded his statement, the two men Mumtaz and Awais Ahmed, who is also said to be a buyer, have not appeared despite being summoned twice. The investigators have decided to move forward by arresting them.
Meanwhile, weeks later the investigators have been unable to break the codes on her mobile phones and retrieve the deleted data from them. The two phones, an I-phone and a Blackberry, were found in her possession at the time of her arrest on March 14.
Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2015
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Comments (38) Closed
May 05, 2015 07:32am
Why would the seller and middle man be arrested ? What is their crime ?
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May 05, 2015 07:40am
Why they not asking owner of the phones to open them up and if she doesn't cooperative then book her under obstruction of justice section of the law?
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May 05, 2015 07:48am
The buyer and the middleman did not appear before the court because they are fake buyers to cover up the crime as if the money came from legitimate source.
Then if it was a legitimate transaction why not declare it honestly or better still safely thru national banks.
You can't fool the people.
Judges please do the needful and prove to us that there are still honest and God fearing gentlemen in the courts.
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May 05, 2015 07:55am
This is a high profile case and appears a lot is behind the curtaon. All investigating agencies must dig out the facts for exemplary punishment according to the law of land.
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May 05, 2015 09:03am
Taker her Iphone and Blackberry to Serena Mobile market in Karachi. I am sure they will be decrypted in minutes.
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May 05, 2015 09:40am
@A. Khan because they are not appearing to record their statement.
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May 05, 2015 09:45am
sale worth 5 million dollars just on letter pad of a company...wow...why FIA has taken so much time to take arrest warrant of middleman and buyer??? why the data has not been decoded so far???
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May 05, 2015 09:59am
Since when the US Dollar has become the currency of business deal/s inside of Pakistan?
Why is all that money going out of Pakistan?
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May 05, 2015 10:00am
@Kamran because they do not exist.
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May 05, 2015 10:01am
Billions of dollars are being sent from Pakistan by the big wigs without even notice of the investigating agencies but in the case of Ayan who was taking away only 5-lac dollars all law books are being opened and consulted by the investigating agencies. Is it not amounted to make storm in the tea cup.
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May 05, 2015 10:15am
Anyone can say anything, nothing will happen to her because it's the BIGs who are involved in all this. What is surprising is the pace of the investigation. This itself is an indicator.
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May 05, 2015 10:17am
@A. Khan Because they were fake as nothing was sold or bought. These people fabricated the plot sale story and created sale deeds on stamp papers.
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May 05, 2015 10:29am
The issue is taking a completely new twist altogether, where the buyer and the middle man have been arrested. Recently, the issue was that Ms. Ayyan Ali was caught red handed carrying gargantuan amounts of cash to Dubai. Reasons for which this case is being prolonged perplexes me. Maybe, the judge is getting bored and is deriving pleasure from looking at the super model over and over again.
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May 05, 2015 11:20am
@A. Khan their crime is they have to give proof of the source of money they had ..where did they get this much money ..did they pay tax on it earning?
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May 05, 2015 11:27am
Why arrest the two men? Instead release her and close the case. This is what is going to happen eventually. Nothing is going to happen to her, period. 'Helping Investigators' are unable to break phone codes and that is understood. Eventually this will lead to "lack of evidence" and her release. Who doesn't know how and what happens in our beloved country.
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May 05, 2015 11:31am
This case has a lot of meaning politically.
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May 05, 2015 11:41am
Cannot break the codes in her mobile ? Is the public expected to believe this !
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May 05, 2015 11:48am
more than a month into this case & the FIA has not put the suspects on ECL. Soon will hear that they have gone into hiding or gone out of the country. This is normal in our country.
2) it is not difficult to unlock the phones if the FIA wants, it is just a matter of will.
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May 05, 2015 12:10pm
@A. Khan their crime is they tried to play with law by giving false statement about plot sale. which actually didn't happen just a frame to cover actual play. thats why they r being arrested its big game i don't know how our law system is so powerless against such gaints.
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May 05, 2015 12:14pm
mobile code not opening? hilarious, contact mobile mkt ... ayyan taking money in form of dollars? great currency to deal in, chk leads of currency exchange ... how ayyan earned that money to buy the land in first place? maybe someone gifted, see who gifted ... who came to make her escape at isb airport? some federal minister friend? ... why not name th fed minister, mayb an ower of telecom compnay?
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May 05, 2015 12:48pm
Why they didn't wire the money via banking or any other legal channel. since in her statement she said that she sold 5 residential plots in karachi. It is clearly stated on every airport that you are not allowed to carry more than $10,000.
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May 05, 2015 12:49pm
Court must examine the actual Dollar notes. If they are old notes with fold mark in the middle, they are definitely the part of a mega-scandal organised with the active connivance of various money changers and the authorities.
It would be remembered that an ingenious trick has been devised to declare fold-marked Dollars illegal in Pakistan and swept by the money changers from the market at about 10% lower than their face value. Such Dollars are then carried overseas where they are legal. In this way, huge profits are earned within days.
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May 05, 2015 01:09pm
I don't understand what is her crime??? she was trying to take money abroad in cash which didn't happen so crime did not take place, what is punishment for that and why so much delay in punishing her for attempting that??? secondly is it in jurisdiction of customs to ascertain whether the money was legal or not??? if so why they have failed to do so is it that hard to prove the money did not belong to her???
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May 05, 2015 01:14pm
@A Khan Yes, the pace of investigation is slow...very slow indeed. The day is seemingly not far when courts will refuse further remand of Ayan Ali and order to release her. Since her name has surprisingly not been placed on ECL she will immediately flee from the country and feel relieved and safe in Dubai or some where else. As to why the dealer and the buyer were not arrested soon upon their first time failure to attend the call of investigators is a big question and creates lot of doubts about the sincerity of investigators. It is widely believed by all and sundry that many big fish are involved in this case and they must be using all their power and influence to make the case as weak as possible so that no harm is caused to them. If prosecuted it will only be Ayan Ali who may get mildish punishment along with warning to be careful in future. Moreover, there is no news about investigating the PS to ex president who escorted Ayan Ali and used his influence to get her cleared.
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May 05, 2015 01:45pm
This will carry on until everything is forgotten, that's how things work in Pakistan.
Law is for the poor, not the rich.
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May 05, 2015 02:32pm
@imran Absolutely correct.. Moreover cant they get the calls data from service provider?
If these companies cannot provide the date then ban them!
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May 05, 2015 02:38pm
Best example for Law in Pakistan... "spider webs through which the crows pass and the little flies get caught and eaten" (a bit modified)
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May 05, 2015 02:52pm
"Meanwhile, weeks later the investigators have been unable to break the codes on her mobile phones and retrieve the deleted data from them. The two phones, an I-phone and a Blackberry, were found in her possession at the time of her arrest on March 14."
Is that so? While certain well known media sources are reporting that her phones are already cracked into by certain intelligence agencies.
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May 05, 2015 03:07pm
This case will end up with no conviction as it will be proved ayyan got money via plot sale and she will be fined and released. Its obvious there is a lot of political activity behind all this!
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May 05, 2015 03:11pm
why they dont arrest the ex fed minister?
catch the small fish is continued!
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May 05, 2015 03:13pm
Whats name of Federal minister who was behind all this deal ?
Law is for the poor, not for the rich.
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May 05, 2015 03:35pm
@A. Khan their crime? several. Their first crime is that they purchased the files in foreign currency. Their second crime is they didn't appear before the investigation team after they were summoned. Their third crime is that they purchase real estate without any legal documents.
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May 05, 2015 03:38pm
@Muhammad Khan There is a lot of money expected in this case. Please don't mess up our chances.
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May 05, 2015 04:00pm
@imran
I am more surprised to know that the two phones have not yet disappeared. Those involved in this crime are untouchable gods of Pakistan.
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May 05, 2015 04:22pm
Fair and honest justice is good luck of next generations but dirty politics is bad luck of next generations including the kids of top politicians. Next era will be fast and will give you the rapid answers.
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May 05, 2015 05:36pm
Kids of corrupt and criminals may please launch a campaign against corruption, crimes and especially land mafia.
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May 05, 2015 06:26pm
@Mirza Mirza The accused is never required to cooperate with the law. They can not obstruct justice. Now if the phone belonged to someone else and they were refusing that would be obstruction of justice.
You cannot force an accused to convict themselves.
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May 05, 2015 07:10pm
@A. Khan you cannot blame the big fish so catch the small ones
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