ISLAMABAD, Sept 19: Dr Shoaib Suddle, who is investigating the Dr Arsalan Iftikhar graft case, is learnt to have summoned property tycoon Malik Riaz to record his statement.

A notice issued by the one-man commission headed by Dr Suddle has asked Mr Riaz to either appear before it on Sept 27 or send a written statement about the charges he had levelled against Dr Arsalan, son of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

Mr Riaz has claimed to have paid Dr Arsalan Rs342 million to get his cases pending in the Supreme Court settled.

A senior police official said the commission had served the notice on Malik Riaz through Islamabad Police.

The commission, he said, had earlier issued a notice to Mr Riaz to appear before it on Sept 17 but Abpara police failed to deliver it at his residence on Embassy Road.

“Then the head of the commission reprimanded police for not obeying his orders,” the official said. A source close to Dr Suddle said the fresh notice had now been served on Mr Riaz.

On August 30, the Supreme Court handed over investigation to Dr Suddle after expressing dissatisfaction over the probe conducted by a joint investigation team (JIT) of the National Accountability Bureau.

The source said after receiving Mr Riaz’s statement the commission would send it to Dr Arsalan and ask him to submit his reply.

The apex court has given 30 days to the commission to complete its task but it may not be able to meet the deadline.“If the commission does not get statements of the main characters in the case how can it complete the investigation in 30 days,” the source said.