Court Extends Remand in Rs1.2B APP Corruption Case

On Saturday, a local court prolonged the physical remand of seven suspects implicated in the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) mega corruption case, involving financial irregularities totaling Rs 1.2 billion under scrutiny.

Civil Judge/Judicial Magistrate Ahmad Shehzad Gondal ordered Ghawas Khan, Idrees Chaudhry, Imran Munir, Tahir Ghumman, Sajid Ali Warraich, Azhar Farooq, and Khurram Shehzad to remain in Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) custody for an additional three days, marking the second extension following an earlier three-day remand.

The FIA requested an 11-day extension, arguing that custodial interrogation was essential to recover missing records, trace financial trails, and identify other beneficiaries. Investigation officer Muhammad Junaid informed the court that the accused conducted illegal transactions via APP accounts, including those tied to the Holiday Inn, and unlawfully withdrew Provident Fund (PF) savings without authorization.

APP’s counsel, Advocates Rohail Asghar and Hasnain Haider Thaheem, endorsed the FIA’s stance, alleging the accused fabricated fake vouchers to mislead auditors and siphoned off nearly Rs 1 billion. Thaheem highlighted that, despite APP employing around 850 staff with a monthly wage bill of Rs 45 million, the accused transferred Rs 115 million in a single month, pocketing an excess of Rs 70 million. He noted the funds were initially pooled into one account before being distributed among the accused.

The defense, however, refuted the claims. Advocate Kashif Gorsi, representing Idrees Chaudhry, argued his client was not a primary beneficiary, claiming Rs 150 million was funneled to Arshad Majeed Chaudhry, Azhar Farooq, and Ghulam Murtaza. Similarly, Tahir Ghumman’s counsel insisted that Arshad Majeed Chaudhry, Azhar Farooq, and Sajid Warraich were the true beneficiaries, asserting Ghumman had no role in direct transfers.

The FIA has registered cases against 16 suspects, including senior officers and staff of the state-run news agency. Initial investigations uncovered fake vouchers, unauthorized transactions, and misuse of institutional accounts.

The seven accused will remain in FIA custody until the next hearing.