ISLAMABAD: A Lahore Judicial Magistrate on Friday cleared businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor in two cases of money-laundering and fraud – registered against him by his former wife actress Sophia Mirza.
Judge Ghulam Murtaza Virk of Judicial Magistrate Courts acquitted Umar Farooq Zahoor and cancelled two First Information Reports (FIRs) after the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) informed the court that its investigations had established that the accused was not involved in fraud, money-laundering and corruption.
Both cases were started in early June 2020 after Sophia Mirza approached the FIA Lahore’s Corporate Circle over allegations of fraud and money-laundering of around Rs 16 billion by Umar Farooq Zahoor and his brother-in-law Saleem Ahmad.
The FIA told the court that it issued notices and letters to the Norwegian Police Liaison Officer at Islamabad for collection of relevant evidence but no positive response has been shown by them.
The judge noted that the alleged offence was committed in the year 2010 and that case has already been closed but still FIA had registered this case in the year 2020 while treating the said case as a predicate offence of money laundering.
The FIA told the court that during the course of investigation it was brought on the record that Umar Farooq Zahoor not only denied the allegations but also produced a letter from Norway Police confirming the said inquiry was closed due to lack of evidence and also produced another document of Oslo Police to the Public Prosecutor with the recommendation of dismissal of the case. The judge ruled that on the basis of the FIA investigation report, the FIR stands dismissed.
