A judicial magistrate here has rejected the bail applications of three accused who are in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) custody over a multi-billion Rupees fraud case.
Sitting here at Judicial Magistrate South Court 3, the judge Durre Shahwar Junejo heard the bail applications of Muhammad Rafiq Bhojani, his son Zain Abbas Bhojani and nephew Muzammil Bhojani and decided that the bail applications were not on merit and the three should continue to remain in custody.
The judge heard arguments from the legal team of the three accused and ordered the FIA to continue their detention while the investigation into the over one-billion Rupees fraud goes on.
The prosecutor told the court that the NADRA computer system has established that fake finger prints were used by Mr Rafiq Bhojani to manipulate the system and the case of forgery is established. The prosecution told that it’s been established as per independent analysis that Muzammil Bhojani put fingerprints for Amir Husain to transfer shares illegally to Bhojani’s name in the mega fraud case.
The judge was informed that handwriting experts have established forged signatures for illegal share transfers in fake board resolutions and board meeting minutes. According to the prosecutor, Bhojani changed company login from offline to online and gave his phone number in the place of Tahir Husain’s ID which is a crime of impersonation.
The court learnt that fake Board meeting document was filed by Bhojani showing Board meeting in Pakistan whereas Immigration Records attained by the FIA proved none of the directors were in the country on that date.
Earlier, the District & Session Judge (D&SJ) Karachi South had cancelled the pre-arrest bails of Rafiq Bhojani, Zain Abbas Bhojani and nephew Muzammil Bhojani and ordered their arrest.
The case of fraud has been registered by the FIA over a complaint which was filed by Syed Tahir of Pak China Fertilisers Limited against Rafiq Bhojani and three others regarding illegal transfer of shares of M/s Pak China Fertilisers by fraudulent manner through electronic means by using fake electronic data, according to the FIA report. The fourth accused Ashfaq Ahmed, who was part of the fraud scheme, remains an absconder and FIA is looking for him.
The FIA has said that it registered the criminal case after a thorough investigation in which it was established that Mr Bhojani led the criminal plot with help from Zain Abbas Bhojani and nephew Muzammil Bhojani. The FIA said in the report: “During the course of enquiry, it has been established that accused Muhammad Rafiq Bhojani prepared fake Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) profile of complainant Syed Tahir Hussain and manipulated fake long-in on complainant’s behalf for which the alleged Muhammad Rafiq Bhojani used his own cell phone for authentication and gave a fraudulently created email address and contact address as address of Khadim Jan i.e. Suit No 12 and 13, 3rd floor, deans Trade Centre, Peshawar.
“During the course of enquiry, it has also been established that accused Rafiq Bhojani prepared fake registration letter of Mr Hussain from his Directorship of M/s Pak China Fertilisers letter and fraudulently affixed fake thumb impression of Syed Amir Hussain on the said registration letter and submitted before the SECP.”
In the first and original FIR filed with the FIA by the business group, Bhojani and his three associates conspired to illegally transfer their shareholding of Pak-China Fertilisers Limited Company. Bhojani collaborated with a prominent ex-MNA from Haripur who collaborated in the fraud worth over PKR 1 billion, according to the complaint. The complaint alleged that Bhojani and his associates took illegal possession of fertiliser plant of the business group in Haripur by force and have been in control of the plant for three years now. A fourth accomplice, Ashfaq Awan, is an absconder who is wanted by FIA.
