March 15, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 6, 1429

NEW YORK, March 14: Two Pakistani-American doctors have been charged in a Florida court with conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transfer business.

According to a statement issued by US Attorney’s office Thursday, a federal grand jury in Tallahassee, Florida, charged Dr M. Ishaq Zafar, 63, of Chipley, Florida, and Dr M. Tariq Randhawa, 64, of Hornell, New York, with using a charitable organisation named ‘Pak-American Islamic Cultural Corporation Inc’ (PAICCI) to send money to Pakistan.The two doctors were charged with using the charitable organisation to transfer funds from the US

to Pakistan for the benefit of family members, organisations operated by family members, and friends of individuals who made contribution to the PAICCI, and with filing false tax return forms on behalf of the PAICCI.

According to the indictment, money contributed to PAICCI was disguised as charitable donations, and donors falsely claimed the money transfers as tax deductions.

The indictment alleges that Randhawa caused more than $300,000 to be contributed to the PAICCI that was transferred at his request to a Pakistani organisation in which his brother held a controlling interest.

Moreover, Zafar caused more than $500,000 to be contributed to the PAICCI, and transferred approximately that same amount to alleged donors’ family members, organisations operated by family members and friends. Dr Randhawa was arrested in Hornell.

Arraigned in United States district court in Panama City, Florida, his trial has been scheduled for July 7. If convicted, Randhawa faces 20-year imprisonment and $1,000,000 in fines.

Dr Zafar is currently a fugitive. If convicted of those counts, he faces 33 years of imprisonment and $2,100,000 in fines.