ISLAMABAD, April 12: Additional District and Sessions Judge Chaudhry Mohammad Younas on Friday issued warrants of attachment of property against five former employees of the defunct Bank of Commerce and Credit International (BCCI).

The five brothers — Syed Raza Ali, Syed Khateeb Haider, Syed Adeeb Haider Syed Najeeb Haider and Syed Masoom Sultan — during their service with the BCCI had allegedly siphoned off Rs3 billion of the bank.

The fraud had been detected by the liquidators of the bank, who later obtained orders from the London High Court that empowered them to initiate legal proceedings against the five brothers.

On the basis of the London High Court judgments, the liquidators had moved the district court in January.

It may be recalled that the same court, then comprising Safdar Hussain Malik, had issued injunction in favour of the liquidators in the case of Syed Raza Ali, and restricted him from selling his land of the PR Housing Scheme at sector E-16 of Islamabad.

Meanwhile, Ms Parveen Raza, wife of Syed Raza Ali, has filed an appeal before the court, seeking non attachment of some of the property including the housing scheme, two bungalows — one in E- 7 Islamabad, and the other in Defence Housing Society, Lahore.

She claimed that this property belonged to her, and her husband was neither the owner nor the co-owner of the same. The court will now take up the matter on 7th of next month.

Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court (LHC), Rawalpindi bench, has directed the judicial officers of the lower courts in Islamabad to ensure that the records of the courts are protected and stressed the need for constant vigilance on the court premises.

Official sources said such orders were issued to the district courts in the Punjab in the wake of recent terrorist activities in the province.

The bench also observed that hearings in certain cases were badly affected due to either loss of record or theft by people in connivance with the court staff and policemen.