The PM’s son is quizzed for two hours by ANF investigators. RAWALPINDI: Ali Musa Gilani, son of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, appeared before the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) in the case concerning alleged misuse of the controlled chemical ephedrine on Thursday.
Gilani appeared before the investigators along with his counsel, Fawad Chaudhry, and pleaded innocence and ignorance on the subject of influencing officials of the federal health ministry for allocating a huge quota of ephedrine to two pharmaceutical companies, in violation of the law.
Ali Musa, who was named in the Supreme Court as the main accused in the multi-million-rupee scandal, was questioned for almost two hours by ANF Rawalpindi Joint Director Colonel Tauqeer, Deputy Director Abid Zulfiqar and Joint Director Legal Col (retd) Shabbir, an ANF official requesting anonymity told The Express Tribune. After his testimony, Ali Musa spoke to the media and denied allegations of involvement in the case.
“The ANF had questioned three men named Musa earlier in the case. If someone has used my name or position to influence the health officials, the investigators should look for the impersonator,” he said, adding, “I was abroad for studies in the days when the ephedrine was allegedly allocated to the companies.”
According to ANF sources, Ali Musa said during his testimony that he had never met former director general health Dr Rasheed Jumma.
“I am not an accused in the case. The Supreme Court has only directed the ANF to question me and I have returned before schedule to appear before the ANF team. I was to return on April 30,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Anti-Narcotics Court Special Judge Zaffar Iqbal Chaudhry rejected the plea for pre-arrest bails of Dr Rasheed Jumma, Berlex Lab International Director Rizwan Khan and Danas Pharmaceutical Director Col (retd) Tahirul Wadood Lahoti. The men were not present in court when the order was announced.
The ANF has already arrested Ansar Farooq Chaudhry, chief executive of Danas Pharmaceutical Islamabad and Iftikhar Khan Babar, chief executive of Berlex Lab International. Another accused, Tauqeer Ali Khan, said to be close aide of Ali Musa Gilani, obtained pre-arrest bail from a court in Multan.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 27th, 2012.
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