Rs4.1m recovered from Parvez Elahi’s residence during search, ACE tells Lahore court

The Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on Saturday informed a Lahore district and sessions court that it had allegedly recovered Rs4.1 million from the house of PTI President Parvez Elahi in a case pertaining to illegal appointments in the Punjab Assembly.

Elahi’s counsel Advocate Amir Saeed Rawn, on the other hand, disputed the claim, terming it a “bogus recovery”.

Last month, the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) arrested Elahi on charges of appointing Muhammad Khan Bhatti as his principal secretary during his tenure as the chief minister. It alleged that Bhatti’s appointment was not in accordance with the law.

The PTI president has been arrested more than a dozen times in various cases since the start of June and after a statewide crackdown was launched against the party in the aftermath of the May 9 violence.

On Sept 1, the Islamabad police re-arrested Elahi under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance near his residence soon after the LHC set him free and issued a restraining order against his possible arrest by any agency or preventive detention.

Today, Elahi was presented before the court of Judicial Magistrate Imran Abid.

ACE’s investigating officer Muhammad Sabtain told the court that they took Elahi to his residence on Zahoor Elahi Road, where a sum of Rs4.1 million was allegedly retrieved from his bedroom, situated adjacent to a garage on the left side.

The officer emphasised that the recovery was made with Elahi’s confirmation, as he was present during the search at his house.

However, countering the ACE’s assertions, Elahi insisted that he had been in jail throughout the night and had not been taken anywhere. He stated, “I was asleep, and I have no knowledge of where they supposedly found the money.”

“It was only here in jail that I learned about the alleged recovery,” Elahi conveyed to the court.

Elahi claimed that the raiding officers had ulterior motives, seeking to secure their own positions.

The magistrate then pressed the investigation officer over Elahi’s denial of being taken anywhere. The officer responded, pointing out that such claims were common from suspects. “We indeed transported Elahi to his residence. Otherwise, how did we bring this money?”

After the arguments, the court approved a two-day extension in Elahi’s physical remand and instructed the authorities to ensure the appearance of the PTI leader before the court on Monday.