LAHORE , June 21, 2023: A court in the Punjab capital on Wednesday rejected a plea filed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) seeking physical remand of PTI President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi in the money laundering case.
Judicial Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Virk announced the verdict as he sent the former chief minister to jail on judicial remand. The FIA had sought 14-day physical remand of the politician for interrogation in the case.
Earlier in the day, the FIA arrested him as he was set to be relased after his bail in a corruption case.
The arrest comes a day after the agency lodged case against him and his son Chaudhry Moonis Elahi over alleged money laundering in the Panama scandal.
The Panama scandal had revealed the businesses owned by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) president and the former federal minister. The FIA had gathered evidence and filed a case against Mr Elahi and his son.
In a case filed under the laws governing fraud and money laundering, the former Punjab chief minister and his son were accused of concealing billions of rupees in five Panamanian firms. Mr Elahi allegedly purchased companies in Panama and there was an evidence of illegal transfer of money abroad, according to FIA sources.
On Tuesday, an anti-corruption court granted Mr Elahi post-arrest bail in the Punjab Assembly (PA) illegal recruitments’ case. It came as the court pronounced a verdict it had reserved earlier. Judge Ali Raza heard the plea and announced the verdict.