RAWALPINDI: Investi­gators in the money laundering case against supermodel Ayyan Ali have decided to probe the middleman who sold the files of her plots in Bahria Town.

The model was arrested at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport on the charge of trying to take over 0.5 million dollars abroad on March 10. A source close to the investigation told Dawn that the customs investigators would probe Mr Mumtaz who she claimed had materialised the deal of the five files and paid her over half a million dollars.

The investigators are also trying to get the close-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the international departure lounge and car parking area of the airport to see the person who had dropped Ms Ayyan at the airport and later facilitated her until she was stopped from traveling abroad by the customs staff.

Know more: Ayyan submits proof of sale for residential plots

However, the source said, the investigators were disappointed when the authorities concerned refused to provide them the CCTV footage.

The source said they were directed to contact their headquarters in Karachi for getting the CCTV footage. But a customs official claimed that according to the customs laws any authority was bound to provide the CCTV footages required in connection with the investigation of such a high-profile case.

The source said the investigators had requested the airport authorities to give them access to the CCTV footages recorded between 11pm on March 9 and 3am on March 10.

The investigators have also sought the record of the ownership of the five files of plots from Bahria Town.

On the other hand, Zulfiqar Ali, the younger brother of Ayyan Ali, held a meeting with her in the Adiala jail on Thursday. The meeting lasted for about 45 minutes.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2015

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