FIA detains NCCIA Usman after weeks of ‘disappearance’

LAHORE: The mystery of the disappearance of NCCIA Deputy Director Muhammad Usman has been solved after the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Lahore confirmed his arrest in a corruption and abuse of power case.

Usman denied being kidnapped in a written statement and admitted that he had gone into hiding fearing an internal inquiry.

FIA Lahore has formally arrested Deputy Director Muhammad Usman after investigating alleged corruption and abuse of power. The case is linked to the ongoing investigation against several officers of the National Cyber ​​Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).

In his written statement, Usman clarified that he was not kidnapped, saying, “I went into hiding fearing an inquiry, I was not kidnapped by anyone nor was I in anyone’s custody.”

Sources said the case emerged from a wider corruption probe involving several NCCIA officials accused of accepting bribes from the family of YouTuber Saad-ur-Rehman, known online as Dikki Bhai.

Earlier, the FIA ​​had arrested four NCCIA officers, including former Additional Director Sarfaraz Chaudhry, on charges of bribery and abuse of authority. The arrests were made following a complaint filed by YouTuber Dikki Bhai’s wife, Arab Jatoi.

According to the FIR, Rs9 million was allegedly received from Dikki’s family to get leniency in the cybercrime case. The report said that former investigating officer Shoaib Riaz received Rs6 million for facilitating legal proceedings and an additional Rs3 million for judicial relief.

Part of the money, Rs 5 million, was allegedly handed over to Additional Director Sarfaraz Chaudhry, while Shoaib Riaz kept Rs 2 million for himself. Investigators allege that the funds were distributed among other senior officers of the NCCIA.