Court sets Oct 31 for accused's indictment in judge video scandal case

ISLAMABAD: The Prevention of Electronic Crimes court has set Oct 31 for indictment of the arrested accused in the judge video scandal case, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Special Judge of the cyber crimes court Tahir Mehmood Khan directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to submit a complete charge-sheet against the accused.

The court rejected a plea by FIA seeking transfer of the case to an anti-terrorism court for trial of the suspect.

FIA had requested the court to transfer the case to the ATC as the investigation into the case was transferred from its Cyber Crimes Wing to Counter Terrorism Wing (CTW). Two accused, including nephew of Nasir Butt, main character behind the judge video scandal, are in Adiala jail on judicial remand.

Earlier on Oct 14, Faisal Shaheen, one of the accused, had recorded his confessional statement before a magisterial court saying he had shot the controversial video of a meeting between former accountability judge Arshad Malik and Nasir Butt.

He admitted that he played, what he said, the role of facilitator in the filming of the video.

The Federal Investigation Agency had arrested both the suspects on Oct 5.

FIA officials said Shaheen admitted to his involvement in filming the controversial video of judge Malik on a mobile phone, which was then transferred into a laptop. The laptop and another device used for the purpose belonged to suspect Hamza Butt’s cousin.

Addressing a press conference alongside top PML-N leadership on July 6, Maryam Nawaz had shown reporters a video in which accountability court judge Arshad Malik can be heard saying that there was “no proof of corruption against the deposed premier” in the Al-Azizia reference.

Judge Arshad Malik, who sentenced former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to jail, had denied Maryam Nawaz’s allegations that the judge was blackmailed into convicting Nawaz without any evidence.