Parvez Elahi says ACE's Rs4.1mn recovery assertion 'bogus'
Pakistan
Parvez Elahi says ACE's Rs4.1mn recovery assertion 'bogus'
LAHORE (Dunya News) – Former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi’s physical remand has been extended for two days by a district and sessions court in connection with a case pertaining to illegal appointments in the Punjab Assembly.
During Saturday’s hearing, the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) maintained before the court that it had allegedly recovered Rs4.1 million from the residence of the PTI Punjab president.
The recovery claim was disputed by the former CM’s counsel, advocate Amir Saeed, who termed it “bogus”.
ACE Investigator Muhammad Sibtain claimed that a sum of Rs4.1 million was retrieved from Parvez Elahi’s residence on Zahoor Elahi Road.
The officer stated that Elahi was present while his house of being searched, adding that the recovery was made on his confirmation about the presence of cash in his bedroom.
Countering the assertion, the former chief minister responded that he spent the entire night in jail and only came to know about the recovery when he came up to the court. “I don’t know where they supposedly found the money.”
Elahi doubted the ACE officials’ motives, and alleged that they were only up to getting their jobs secured.
He contended that the ACE brought a bogus corruption case against him, asserting that he did not commit corruption of even a rupee.
The PTI leader maintained that all his life he worked honestly and devoted himself to public service.
“Unlike Shehbaz Sharif’s service [focusing on the establishment], my service focuses on the people of Pakistan,” he went on to add.
Upon this, Judicial Magistrate Imran Abid queried the investigation officer over Elahi’s denial of having been taken anywhere during the night.
The investigator insisted that they did recover the money from his residence, adding that such denials were common from suspects.
After the arguments, the court approved a two-day extension in Parvez Elahi’s physical remand and instructed the authorities to produce the PTI leader before the court on Monday next week.
