Customs Officer Syed Momin Shah and Co-Accused Acquitted in Corruption Case
The Anti-Corruption Court (Central) in Hyderabad, presided over by Judge Ashok Kumar Dodeeja, acquitted customs officer Syed Momin Shah and his co-accused recently. The court approved their prayer for acquittal on an application moved under Section 249-A of the Criminal Procedure Code (Cr.P.C.) on the grounds of paucity of evidence.
The accused were prosecuted under the Prevention of Corruption Act, of 1947, the Customs Act, of 1969, and the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The case was registered as Crime No. 20/2023 at FIA Police Station Hyderabad on a source report.
The case is a result of a raid on September 19, 2023, at the house of Syed Momin Shah, which is situated at House No. 18, Mohalla Amil Colony, Hyderabad, Hyderabad. In the raid, the authorities seized 68 high-quality weapons, ammunition, non-custom paid vehicles, jewelry, and hunting trophies.
Yet the court ruled that it had jurisdiction to try charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act only. Charges under the Customs Act were beyond its purview and should have been tried by the Special Customs, Excise & Taxation Court in Karachi.
The court also pointed out several legal issues within the case, such as the source report, which was the foundation of the case, having been penned on plain paper without formal documentation. No witnesses were also produced to testify that Syed Momin Shah had conducted any unlawful transactions.
Because of such major flaws, the court held that the case was not proved by the prosecution and acquitted both accused persons on charges of corruption.
