ISLAMABAD: The Interior Ministry of Pakistan along with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) wrote a letter to the US agency Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seeking legal assistance to further probe into the Axact fake degree scam, officials said Monday.
According to interior ministry officials, the letter was sent to the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan which will be sent to the Pakistan Embassy in the United States to be forwarded to the State Department. The letter includes an overall report of the FIA's investigation into the Axact scam, seeking help from the FBI to investigate the case as US-based universities were involved.
Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said on Saturday that a decision had been taken to seek legal assistance from the FBI and Interpol for investigations into the alleged sale of fake degrees by the software company, Axact.
Read: Govt to seek FBI help in Axact probe
Addressing a press conference at Punjab House, Nisar had said the inquiry against Axact would be completed within 10 days. A request for legal assistance might be made to the United Kingdom as well, but a final decision to this effect had yet to be taken, he added.
SHC dismisses Axact CEO's petition requesting 'protective bail'
A division bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC) headed by Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh dismissed a petition by Axact CEO Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh on Monday, observing that the court did not find any merit in application.
Shaikh had requested the court to grant him protective bail against a ‘potential arrest’ in the fake degrees probe currently being undertaken by the FIA.
A deputy attorney general contended that Shaikh’s application was not maintainable, saying a pre-arrest bail cannot be granted because a first information report (FIR) had not been registered with the authorities, and the offices of the company had not been sealed.
Last week, action against Axact kicked off after Nisar ordered an inquiry into the story published by The New York Times that claimed the company was issuing fake degrees as part of a massive, global scam.
Take a look: Nisar vows transparent investigation of Axact fake degree scam
The minister in his directive also said that the FIA was to determine whether the contents of the NYT story were true and whether the company was involved in any illegal business which may bring a "bad name" to Pakistan.
The detailed NYT report titled "Fake Diplomas, Real Cash: Pakistani Company Axact Reaps Millions" and written by New York Times Pakistan bureau chief Declan Walsh outlined how Axact — referred to as a "secretive Pakistani software company" — allegedly earned millions of dollars from scams involving fake degrees, non-existent online universities and manipulation of customers.
Know more: Damning NYT report uncovers Axact's fake degrees scam
According to the report, Axact created a series of fake websites involving “professors” and students who it said were in fact paid actors.
FIA officers swooped on the Karachi headquarters of the company last week, seizing equipment and records and expelling employees from the building.
The company's Rawalpindi office had also been sealed and employees questioned, an official said requesting anonymity.
The interior minister also assured that the ministry will not bear the pressure from any individual regarding the investigation of the Axact scandal and the investigation will be fair and transparent in this regard.
