Money laundering case: Banking court grants Moonis Elahi interim bail

• Lahore's banking court grants Moonis Elahi interim bail till July 4 against surety of Rs500,000.
• Elahi's counsel says case is based on political grounds. 
• Case pertains to alleged money laundering of Rs720 million, says FIA.

A banking court in Lahore on Wednesday accepted the interim bail request of PML-Q senior leader Moonis Elahi in a case pertaining to alleged money laundering worth Rs720 million.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had filed a case against former federal minister Moonis and others last week. The case, according to the agency, pertains to alleged money laundering of Rs720 million.

The court directed Moonis to submit Rs500,000 as a surety against the bail till July 4.

Elahi's counsel Amjad Pervaiz said that the case against Elahi is based on political grounds. He said that Muhammad Khan Bhatti has also acquired interim bail in the same case, but Moonis has sought bail for the first time.

Read more: Moonis Elahi appears before FIA in money laundering case

The money laundering case was registered following a report by the FIA Anti-Corruption Circle, the first information report (FIR) said.

The case

According to the FIR, a probe against Moonis under the Money Laundering Act was started two years ago.

The FIR further said that the report by the Sugar Commission said that Moonis was allegedly involved in money laundering.

Last year, former prime minister Imran Khan had tasked the FIA to investigate the sugar crisis throughout the country and find out who benefited from it.

Subsequently, a report by the agency released last year claimed that top PTI members as well as Moonis were among those who had allegedly gained from the sugar crisis in the country.

In addition, a money laundering case has been filed against Nawaz Bhatti, nephew of Muhammad Khan Bhatti, the secretary of Punjab Assembly, and Mazhar Iqbal, a peon at RYK Sugar Mills, said the FIR.

FIA said that both Bhatti and Iqbal have been arrested.