ISLAMABAD: Malik Riaz, one of the major characters in the alleged Arsalan Iftikhar graft scam, has left for London for an indefinite period as Federal Tax Ombudsman Shoaib Suddle started investigation into the case, sources told Dawn on Thursday.

They said that Mr Malik, accompanied by a prominent politician of Islamabad, flew to London on Wednesday.

A commission, comprising Dr Suddle formed to investigate charges levelled by Mr Malik against Mr Arsalan, has to complete its work in 30 days. It remains unclear when Mr Malik will return to record his statement before the commission.

Mr Malik’s lawyer Zahid Bokhari said his client would not appear before the commission because it had been formed without informing Mr Malik.

“We do not accept the Suddle Commission because it has been formed against the norms of justice,” he said.

Mr Bokhari said he would file a petition before the Supreme Court in a couple of days to challenge the formation of the commission.

The lawyer quoted Asma Jehangir, a former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, as saying that Mr Suddle had family terms with Mr Arsalan.

Attempts to seek Dr Suddle’s comments remained fruitless.

Mr Malik has accused Mr Arsalan of accepting Rs340 million in bribe for settling his cases in the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, the National Accountability Bureau handed over the record of the case to Dr Suddle on Thursday on the directives of the Supreme Court.

“Today, we handed over the entire record and evidences collected by the Joint Investigation Team in the case,” said a senior official of NAB.