Pilot licences' case: FIA continues probe against 39 individuals, institutions

KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has continued its probe into suspicious pilot licences’ which includes 39 individuals and institutions, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

Under the three cases related to dubious pilot licences, the intelligence agency is carrying out an investigation against 39 persons and institutions.

Eight aviates of Pakistan International Airlines are among the pilots who possessed suspicious licences, whereas, 11 pilots have gained the licences privately. Those who acquired licences privately are associated with Shaheen Air, Air Eagle and KK Aviation.

Four cases have been filed against such pilots and officials from the different institutions including Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Earlier on March 7, it emerged that the FIA had expanded the sphere of investigations in suspicious licenses of pilots and interrogated a senior official of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Read: FIA arrests another pilot in fake licence scandal

According to sources privy to the matter, the corporate crime circle of the FIA had interrogated the Senior Additional Director (IT) Tahir Umar besides spending two days in the IT sector of the CAA.

Besides grilling Tahir Umar, other officials in the CAA were also interrogated during the two days,” they said.

The agency had decided to take help from cybercrime experts to examine the computers and their system login passwords besides also scrutinizing the computers used for pilots’ examinations and issuance of licenses.

Read: Pilots fake licence fiasco: FIA summons CAA director licencing

The forensic audit would determine the officers who had a role in the entire scam. “An action will be taken against the officers and staffers involved in the pilot licenses scam,” they said as some of the CAA officers and staffers are already under arrest over their alleged role in the entire scam.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in February has claimed to unearth a network -comprising of its employees and some pilots- allegedly involved in the fake pilots’ licenses scam.