Mir, Anwar confessed Indian funding; Geo News obtains Met Police document

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AFP
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Mir, Anwar confessed Indian funding; Geo News obtains Met Police document
LONDON: Geo News has obtained a single page of another alleged document of London Metropolitan Police, in which MQM leaders Tariq Mir and Mohammad Anwar confessed of receiving Indian funding.

Sarfraz Merchant, a Karachi trader among six men being investigated by the British investigators for money-laundering with MQM, told Geo News early on Wednesday that he shared the document with two former MQM leaders.

Apparently, one of the two leaders leaked the document in the media, he said.

The document has come to the fore hours after the Met police disowned an alleged confessional statement by MQM senior leader Tariq Mir, saying the document was not part of police record.

Also read: London police disowns ‘confessional statement’

The alleged document carries Merchant's pre-interview briefing by the Met Police and elaborates on what lines the investigative authority was probing the money-laundering allegations on MQM.

It also says the large amount of cash were confiscated from a building associated with MQM and a significant amount of assets identified in the UK.

“All or part of the cash and assets are believed to represent funds provided to MQM by the Indian government or other unlawful activity,” says the document.

“There is evidence that Mr Hussain and members of the MQM have breached Pakistani Electoral legislation in as much they have received ‘prohibited’ funds from the Indian government. This also constitutes breaches of criminal offences under Pakistan and UK legislation thereby making the cash and assets criminal property.”

“Interviews under caution were conducted with Tariq Mir and Mohammad Anwar in 2012 in relation to a separate investigation. During the interviews both Mr Mir and Mr Anwar stated that MQM was receiving funding from the Indian government.”




Merchant found himself in the midst of the money-laundering investigation after he made a donation and loan payments to the MQM in Britain in the tune of nearly half a million Pounds.

He was arrested in the first week of December, 2013 by Scotland Yard investigators from his central London home and taken to a central London police station, but was released on bail.

Others on the police bail in this case are MQM chief Altaf Hussain, Mohammad Anwar, Iftikhar Quraishi, Sarfraz Ahmed and Tariq Mir.

The British authorities arrested Altaf Hussain in June last year, but extended his bail for a third time until July.

The MQM denies involvement in money laundering.