The Corporate Crime Circle of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has found a breakthrough in the investigation against Shaheen Air for inflicting losses of Rs. 1.4 billion to the national exchequer.
According to details, FIA sources have claimed that they have arrested one while FIR has been lodged against 8 directors and CEO of Shaheen Air, all of whom are in hiding.
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FIA has registered the case against Shaheen Air’s management under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 489-F (dishonoring of cheque), 109 (abetment), 34 (common criminal intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code, read with sections 3 & 4 of Anti Money Laundering Act, 2010.
The agency has also unearthed conclusive evidence which proves Shaheen Air’s involvement in money laundering activities.
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had filed a complaint against Shaheen Air in FIA after the airline defaulted in paying CAA’s charges and levies in March 2018.
In October 2018, Shaheen Air had suspended its flight operations after the airline became a defaulter of Pakistan Customs and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) as well.
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CAA had sealed the head office over non-payment of dues while the FBR had frozen the main bank account of Shaheen Air over non-payment of taxes after October 2018.
It is worth mentioning that Shaheen Air was Pakistan’s second-largest private airline before suspending its flight operations in 2018. The airline had 25 aircraft in its fleet, of which 12 are grounded at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi.
Around 5,000 hapless employees of the Shaheen Air wrote a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan in February 2019, demanding financial assistance and urgent measures to revive the airline.
