KARACHI: The Customs Court sent suspects namely Umair Yousaf and Farhan Yousaf to Central Jail Karachi on judicial remand and directed investigation officer to submit progress report against them on next date of hearing, who were arrested after dismissal of their pre-arrest bail in first information report (FIR) for causing losses amounting to Rs1,94,765,264 to the national exchequer by illegal removal of warehouse goods from the warehouse HECOTEX.
On 6 August 2021, during the hearing, investigation officer submitted that prosecution needs further investigation from arrested suspects, therefore, court may extend their physical remand, however, counsel for the accused persons argues that prosecution has not a single evidence against his clients and no need for further physical remand, therefore, court may send them to jail on judicial remand.
It needs to be noted here that the customs court had dismissed pre-arrest bail applications filed by suspects namely Umair Yousaf and Farhan Yousaf and sent them to the customs department on physical remand.
Court also had observed in its order that “applicants Umair Yousaf is a licensee of the bonded warehouse and Farhan Yousaf is a manager looking-after all the matters of the said warehouse, admittedly velvet suiting fabric, chiffon suiting weighing 171, 421 kg were warehoused against 11 goods declarations, but now in place of said warehoused goods some pieces of useless cloths are present which also with complete difference in weight”.
Court further observed that “on the other hand it is also admitted position that the license of subject warehouse is for iron and steel products, tiles, medical items and chemicals warehouse illegal removal goods are cloths, tentatively speaking both Umair Yousaf and Farhan Yousaf cannot be allowed remedy of pre-arrest bail which will subvert or undermine investigation procedure that essentially included arrest in order to bring the statutory exercise to its logical end for effective and meaningful prosecution of the offence through collection of information upon arrest especially in absence of malafide on the part of prosecution and loss of revenue to the government”.
