ISLAMABAD: The Customs Appellate Tribunal is all set to resume hearing of famous Ayyan Ali’s money laundering case on August 16, said officials from tribunal.
Ayyan Ali had filed an application with the Customs Appellate Tribunal for early hearing of her restored appeal, challenging announcement about money laundering of $500,000 in March 2015.
A division bench of the tribunal comprising chairman, Justice (r) Manzoor Hussain and Ziauddin Wazir, was hearing the case. According to the current schedule, the tribunal would resume the hearing on August 16.
Ayyan Ali’s counsel, Sardar Latif Khosa, argued that his client was innocent and that the department had no sufficient evidence to prove that black money was being laundered. He asked the tribunal to set aside the announcement made by the customs court. The bench then dated in office the hearing.
Khosa had paid a fine of Rs 10,000 for restoration of the case. Earlier the case was dismissed for non-prosecution by the appellant.
Ayyan was arrested from Benazir Bhutto International Airport with $500,000 in March 2015. The Airport Security Force intercepted her and recovered the said amount from her luggage. She was released on bail after four months in Adiala Jail.
The amount was confiscated by customs authorities and later customs adjudication found her guilty of smuggling of the said amount out of Pakistan.
The customs court maintained the departmental decision on confiscation of money and also added a fine of $500,000 (the same amount seized while being smuggled) on her.
