THIS is one story we could all have done without. With no facts, other than a supermodel languishing in a jail, the imagination is reduced to speculating about the source of the cash she was arrested for trying to smuggle out of the country, or to dwelling on the conditions she must be living under.

While the press is busy trying to satiate a hungry public’s appetite for meaningless details, the rumor mill is running in overdrive about whose money it was that Ayyan Ali had concealed in special compartments in her luggage.

Meanwhile, the authorities have a free ride to take their time in pursuing the facts of the case, thereby allowing rumors to gather steam that there might be a political connection.

Take a look: Supermodel Ayyan held for attempting to fly out with $500,000

Some basic facts should be released as soon as possible to put to rest the rumors that the story is being allowed to simmer for its potential to score some political points. It should be easy enough to establish the source of the funds, and the intended recipient — especially since on Wednesday, Ms Ali’s lawyer submitted to customs investigators records of the sale of plots claimed to have been formerly held by the model.

A brief look at her bank accounts should be enough to establish if there is a pattern of dabbling in funds of dubious origin. It strains the imagination a little to think that large political players would use this method to move their funds out of the country, but if there is indeed a link, it should not be hard to establish.

Perhaps customs intelligence should ask for some assistance from the FIA, which has more experience and expertise in dealing with money laundering cases.

Capital flight is a highly developed industry in this country, and if methods of this sort are being used to smuggle ill gotten gains out, then at least it tells us that such sums cannot be as large as they are generally supposed to be. This mystery should be put to rest, now.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2015

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