FIA questions Axact CEO Shoaib Shaikh

KARACHI: The central character in the fake degree scandal, Axact CEO Shoaib Shaikh appeared before the Federal Investigation Agency’s Corporate Crime Circle on Tuesday for interrogation.

Director Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Sindh, Shahid Hayat said Shaikh was interrogated earlier on Monday for six hours and would be questioned further today.

Hayat went on to say that in addition to Shaikh, other employees will also be interrogated today.

Shaikh was questioned on Monday regarding the issuance of fake degrees and various bank accounts. According to the Director FIA Sindh, Shaikh had assured that he will produce documentation today.

Sources told Geo News that the FIA has decided to lodge an FIR against Axact after emergence of ‘new irrefutable evidence’ against the IT company in the ongoing probe of the fake degree scam. Sources said the FIR is likely to be lodged in next 48 hours. The FIR would be lodged against owners and high-level officials of the software company.

The Axact scandal came to light when the New York Times published an investigative report claiming that the Pakistani IT company had made millions of dollars selling fake degrees online.

Following the NYT story, Pakistan authorities were quick to act as Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan ordered the FIA to launch a probe into the fake degree scandal.