ISLAMABAD, July 9: The Joint Investigation Team set up to investigate allegations levelled against Arsalan Iftikhar by Malik Riaz has recorded the statement of property tycoon and received the information they wanted from him.

“We have received information from Malik Riaz and obtained relevant record of the case from the Supreme Court,” the chief of NAB’s media wing, Dr Ayesha Siddiqa, said.

When asked if information about Arsalan Iftikhar, son of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chuadhry, and relevant record had been received, she said: “The record about him has been received from the Supreme Court.”

NAB’s spokesman Zafar Iqbal said the Joint Investigation Team had met on Monday to work out its course of action in the light of documents and information received from Malik Riaz and the Supreme Court.

NAB had issued a notice to Malik Riaz on July 3 asking him to submit by July 6, information available with him about Arsalan Iftikhar.

The JIT has decided to hold proceedings on a daily basis to speed up the disposal of inquiry.

It has decided to formally seek cooperation and help from foreign governments and law-enforcement agencies for verification of foreign documents and collection of evidence.

“Contacts with embassies of such countries will be made within a week,” the spokesman said.

He said that notices to all people privy to facts of the case or having been associated with it were being issued for personal appearance to record their statements.

The Joint Investigation Team was formed by National Accountability Bureau Chairman Admiral (retd) Fasih Bokhari on July 3 in the light of Attorney General’s directives to investigate the case.

The five-member Joint Investigation Team is headed by NAB’s director general of Financial Crimes Investigation Wing and includes one member each from FIA and police and three from NAB.

The scope of Joint Investigation Team’s work is said to be quite wide and it will also contact offshore banks and other institutions for information about alleged transfer of money to Arsalan Iftikhar’s bank accounts by Malik Riaz.

“The team will study all relevant transactions, money trail, investments, commercial dealings, business profiles, relevant meetings and if required details of communications between those associated, in any manner whatsoever, with the case,” the NAB official said.

The Supreme Court took a suo motu notice on June 5 on allegations that Arsalan Iftikhar, the son of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, had been doled out Rs300 to Rs400 million by Malik Riaz, the owner of the Bahria Town scheme.

The apex court heard the case about the bribe allegedly given by Malik Riaz to the son of the chief justice, and directed the government to investigate the matter.

Arsalan Iftikhar submitted a statement in the Supreme Court and dubbed allegations against him as `frivolous and unfounded’.

He also denied having any relationship, intimacy or acquaintance whatsoever with Malik Riaz, his daughter or son-in-law and said he had never met them in relation to any business deal or for any purpose in or outside Pakistan.