RAWALPINDI: The Fed­e­ral Investigation Agency (FIA) has completed an inq­uiry into ‘dubious’ licences of commercial pilots and registered three cases against 40 pilots, eight officials of the Civil Aviation Autho­rity’s (CCA) licencing branch and a private person and arrested six persons allegedly involved in the dubious pilot licences scam.

Among those arrested by the FIA’s corporate crime circle, Karachi, are a pilot and five officials of the CAA’s licencing branch. Efforts are being made by the FIA to arrest the remaining accused.

Those arrested are: Khalid Mehmood, acting additional director, licencing branch, CAA; Faisal Manzoor Ansari and Asif-ur-Haq, senior joint directors, licensing branch; Mohammad Mahmood Hussain, additional director, licencing branch; Abdul Raees, senior superintendent of HR-licencing branch; and pilot Mohammad Saqlain Ali.

The Aviation Division had referred cases against five officials of the CAA to the FIA to initiate an inquiry against the officials involved in malpractices in issuance of flight crew licences.

The Supreme Court had directed the then CAA director general to look into procedural violations/irregularities in the examination process of flight crew licence and the then aviation secretary had constituted an independent fact-finding committee to look into the matter.

The committee had pointed out deliberate violations of procedures on part of IT/computer network officials of the CAA and their involvement in providing or facilitating unauthorised access to computer-based test related to pilot licencing process.

A former employee of a flying academy was identified as the major perpetrator of the crime during a personal hearing of certain pilots conducted by the then CAA director general.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2021