PML-Q leader and former federal minister Moonis Elahi on Thursday appeared before the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), two days after it registered and initiated proceedings against him in a money laundering case.
On Tuesday, the agency's corporate crime circle booked Moonis, Punjab Assembly Secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti and six others on charges of money laundering in an alleged sugar scam. The state has been named as the complainant in the first information report (FIR).
Subsequently, the PML-Q leader reached the FIA office on Lahore's Temple Road Wednesday evening to join the investigation. He was, however, sent back.
Earlier today, at around 8:30am, Moonis arrived at the agency's office again and was still inside as this report was filed. In a brief conversation with Dawn.com, his lawyer, Amir Saeed Rawn said that the PML-Q leader will not apply for pre-arrest bail in this case.
"FIA didn't send us a notice before registering the case," he said, adding that his client had completed legal consultations over the matter and would soon approach courts.
Separately, a sessions court in Lahore approved the four-day physical remand of Nawaz Bhatti and Mazhar Abbas — also named in the case — at the request of FIA prosecutor Munim Bashir Chaudhry. Earlier, a special court (offence in banks) had granted interim pre-arrest bail to PA secretary Bhatti.
