ISLAMABAD, Feb 25: FIA investigators probing into the Haj scam told the Supreme Court on Monday that former religious affairs minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi had launched a vilification campaign against the judiciary and the investigating agency.

“Hamid Saeed Kazmi is maligning the judiciary in television programmes and claiming he has been falsely implicated in the case and by doing so he is also influencing witnesses,” FIA Director Hussain Asghar informed the three-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

Mr Kazmi had to lose his ministry for his alleged role in the mismanagement and corruption in Haj operations 2010. He was arrested on March 15, 2011, but was granted bail by the acting special judge of Rawalpindi on Aug 27 last year because the trial court could not conclude its verdict on charges levelled against him despite the fact that he had remained under detention during the 17-month period.

Mr Asghar told the Supreme Court that FIA had approached the interior ministry by writing a letter on Oct 29, last year followed by repeated reminders, seeking permission to move an appeal against the cancellation of the bail but so far no reply had come. He also stated that the evidence of about 44 prosecution witnesses had been recorded in the case.

But FIA’s Director Legal Muhammad Azam informed the Supreme Court that the agency had received the interior ministry’s opinion suggesting that appeal could not be moved since it had been granted on statutory grounds since the court could not complete trial within a specified period of one year.

The chief justice however reminded him that in case of misuse of bail concessions by the accused, the FIA reserved the right to move the trial court for cancellation of the bail.

The court however observed that it was not for the FIA to seek permission from the interior minister for moving the appeal against the bail.

Referring to deportation from Saudi Arabia of Ahmed Faiz, a Pakistani national and a principal accused in the scam, Mr Asghar said the FIA had written directly to the foreign government but they had asked to re-route the permission from the interior ministry.

Ahmed Faiz was appointed to hold negotiation for renting accommodation for Pakistani pilgrims in 2010 at the behest of former Director General of Haj Operations Rao Shakeel Ahmed who is also facing a case for embezzling Rs200 million from Haj operations.

The Saudi administration had granted a business visa to Mr Faiz, Mr Asghar said, adding that the Saudi government would not deport Mr Faiz unless his visa expired or they received a request from the interior ministry.

What would be the status of a visa if Mr Faiz’s passport had been cancelled by the Pakistan government, wondered the chief justice.

But Mr Asghar explained that the Saudi government had also issued “Aqamah” (residence permit) in favour of Mr Faiz but they were not letting us know when this permit would expire.

About Rao Shakeel, who is now under detention, Mr Asghar said that FIA had sought an opinion from the law minister whether it could call former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani for questioning for his alleged role in the appointment of Rao Shakeel.

Mr Gilani is facing charges of appointing Rao Shakeel despite the fact that he was facing corruption charges in a Lahore accountability court, his name was on the Exit Control List and it was got removed through Interior Minister Rehman Malik. Besides, Rao Shakeel was 58 at the time of his appointment while the maximum age for appointment of DG-Haj is 56. Rao Shakeel Ahmed is alleged to have tampered with documents to conceal his age.

The court will now resume hearing of the case on March 15.