Bajwa tax record leak: FIA records statements of arrested suspects

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)’s Anti-Corruption Circle (ACC) has recorded the statements of three suspects, arrested in connection with the income tax data leak of former army chief retired Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, ARY News reported.

According to details, the arrested suspects recorded the statement before a duty magistrate under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPc).

The three suspects included Shahzad Niaz, Arshad Ali Qureshi and Mohammad Adeel Ashraf.

Earlier in December, an Islamabad court remanded three suspects in custody of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Thursday in connection with the income tax data leak of former army chief retired Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Read More: Bajwa tax record leak: Two govt officers suspended by FBR

Shahzad Niaz and Ashraf also deleted tax data, which “they had accessed illegally”. Their mobile phones were sent for forensic analysis to enable the investigators to extract data obtained by the suspects, according to the prosecution.

ISPR’s statement

On November 27, the military’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) rubbished nefarious campaign launched against Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and his family related to their tax records.

In a statement, the ISPR said that the reports were “totally untrue and based on blatant lies”.

“Misleading data regarding the assets of army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and his family have been shared on social media. These misleading figures are exaggerated and based on assumption,” the ISPR said.

The military’s media wing said that a certain group has “cleverly and dishonestly” attributed the assets of General Bajwa’s daughter-in-law’s father and family to the army chief and his family.

FBR widens probe into tax record leak

The Federal Board Revenue (FBR) on Saturday included three more income tax officers in the investigation of leaked tax record details of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and his family.

Sources said that FBR will carry out an investigation from the chief commissioner, commissioner and additional commissioner in connection with the leaked tax record details of Gen Bajwa and his family.

The leaked tax details were downloaded from the deputy commissioner Lahore’s login and then pictures were captured from the deputy commissioner’s computer, sources said.