ISLAMABAD: An additional sessions court in Islamabad has convicted retired Colonel Khalilur Rehman, vice chief executive of Bahria Town, in a major money laundering case. The verdict was delivered on Saturday by Additional Sessions Judge (West) Nasruminallah Baloch.
According to the judgment, Rehman was found guilty of laundering approximately Rs1.6 billion. The case was registered by the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Anti-Money Laundering Circle last year. The court sentenced Rehman to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs25 million.
The court further ordered that if Rehman defaults on the payment of the fine, he will serve an additional one month of simple imprisonment. In addition to the prison sentence and fine, the court directed the forfeiture of property and assets acquired through money laundering.
The conviction was made under Sections 3 and 4 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, which pertain to the offence and punishment for money laundering, respectively. The detailed judgment outlined the evidence and reasoning that led to the court’s decision to hold Rehman accountable.
This case marks a significant development in the ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to address financial crimes in the country. The FIA’s Anti-Money Laundering Circle had initiated the investigation last year, leading to the prosecution and subsequent conviction of the Bahria Town official.
Legal experts note that the forfeiture of assets in addition to the custodial sentence and fine reflects the seriousness with which the court viewed the offence. The judgment is expected to have implications for similar cases involving financial misconduct.
