With the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) moving slowly in the probe against nine arrested officials of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), who are allegedly involved in extracting money from a known YouTuber and call centres, three of them have resigned from their posts.
According to an NCCIA notification, three officers — Deputy Director Sarfaraz Chaudhry, Assistant Director Muhammad Usman, and Assistant Director Shoaib Riaz — resigned from their posts, and their resignations were accepted by the Interior Ministry. “This is to inform that the following officers are relieved from the NCCIA from the date of approval of their resignations — Nov 20.”
Another official, Assistant Director Asma Majeed, also resigned from her post.
A mega scam involving the misuse of authority and acceptance of bribes from different suspects rocked the NCCIA in October.
Not only were nine officials of the NCCIA booked in Lahore, but also 12 in Islamabad, for allegedly taking large sums of money from individuals and call centres.
An internal inquiry found the nine NCCIA accused of operating as a network, taking monthly cash bribes to “facilitate call centres, aggregator companies and individuals involved in online fraud”.
Even investigation is underway regarding the role of some of the suspects being part of the “blasphemy gang” that would frame individuals.
Although only three NCCIA officers named in this scam have resigned so far, sources believe that all 20 or so suspected officials may be fired from the organisation, which was established in May last year.
On the other hand, the FIA, which is probing Sarfaraz Chaudhry and others, has yet to complete its investigation, raising questions about whether it is trying to “save” its former employees. Before the establishment of the NCCIA, these officials were part of the FIA Cyber Crime unit.
“All nine suspects are in jail, and no extensive interrogation has been conducted on them,” a source claimed. “FIA investigators have yet to complete the challan/investigation to submit in court.”
When asked why the FIA had failed to expedite the probe against them, a spokesperson told Dawn that “the matter is under probe.”
Nine NCCIA officers — Additional Director Sarfraz (Lahore); Deputy Directors Muhammad Zawar Ahmad, Muhammad Usman and Ayaz Khan; Assistant Directors Shoaib Riaz and Mujtaba Zafar; Inspector Salman Aziz; and Sub-inspectors Ali Raza and Yasir Ramzan — are accused of accepting bribes and abusing authority in a case against YouTuber Saad ur Rehman, popularly known as Ducky Bhai, over the alleged promotion of gambling apps on social media and through various call centres.
Ducky Bhai also recently disclosed about the “brutal torture” Sarfraz Chaudhry unleashed on him in NCCIA custody.
The YouTuber’s wife Aroob Jatoi, had accused the officials, especially Sarfraz, of taking over Rs100 million, both in local and foreign currency.
According to the First Information Report registered against the officials under Sections 109 (punishment of abetment if the act abetted is committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment) and 161 (public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act) of the Pakistan Penal Code, read with Section 5(2)47 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, which deals with criminal misconduct by public servants, the accused allegedly kept their own shares and distributed the remaining proceeds among other members of the “official gang.”
Sources said the anti-cyber crime body appeared to have “become part of the problem rather than curbing it.” There were also complaints about the exploitation of women victims by some elements within the NCCIA.
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