GUJRANWALA: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Monday initiated an inquiry against the former Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) general secretary and two international hockey players for extorting money from some youths on the pretext of sending them to Europe.

Investigation officer Inspector Malik Nasir Majid said former PHF general secretary Asif Bajwa, former international hockey players Shahbaz Junior and Rana Maqbool were being interrogated as they had allegedly extorted Rs.5.4 million from nine youths to send them to Italy as international hockey players. But they neither sent them abroad nor returned the money.

An inquiry had been initiated against the suspects. He claimed influential people were backing the suspects but their recommendations would not be accepted and an inquiry conducted on merit.

ECL: Anti-Terrorism Court 2 Judge Muhammad Ittefaq Abbasi ordered the FIA to include names of two absconding suspects in the Exit Control List (ECL) as they were involved in an acid attack case.

The court also summoned the Sialkot district police officer and the station house officer concerned on May 3 in case the order was not complied with.

Deputy Prosecutor General Nasir Ali Sundho told the court Aslam and Shahid entered the house of Muhammad Hussain in Budhiana, Sialkot, and threw acid on his face over an old enmity on Nov 11, 2013. He said trial against the absconders had almost ended and feared they could flee abroad. He requested names of both suspects be included in ECL.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) on Monday ordered immediate arrest of the district coordination officer’s stenographer, two patwaris and a head constable on corruption charges.