PPP lawyers submit application against Cynthia Ritchie

Islamabad: Pakistan People’s Party Lawyers from Islamabad yesterday submitted a fresh application in Thana Kohsar again US Citizen Cynthia D. Ritchie for her mis-declaration and providing forged documents and fake information to open account in a branch of HBL in Islamabad.

The application was submitted by Raja Ammar Shaukat Turk, Additional Deputy Secretary General, District Rawalpindi through his Counsel Advocate Mahar Nadeem.

In his application, Raja Ammar has lodged a criminal complaint against Cynthia D. Ritchie and the concerned Bank employee who with joint criminal connivance have committed violations of Section 420, 428, 468 and 478 of PPC and also banking laws under the Banking Act of Pakistan.

The applicant states that Cynthia D. Ritchie was issued business visa on 18th March, 2019 which got expired on March 2 2020, who came to Pakistan on business visa and according to the terms and conditions of her business Visa, she was supposed and bound to do only business Pakistan but she acted otherwise by mis-declaring wilfully and fraudulently with the intention to commit crime in Pakistan.

The application reads “Ms. Cynthia Dawn Ritchie in connivance with the Bank Manager of HBL Blue Area Branch, Islamabad opened her Bank account by submitting fake documents without proper KYC and clearance of the relevant departments”. It stated that according to the law of Pakistan Cynthia Dawn Ritchie should have opened business account in Pakistan instead of her salaried/employed account in violation of Pakistan laws.

She has mis-declared to the Bank that instead of businesswoman she is a salaried person to avoid the source of her money, she has added her mode of payment of her salary as cash and the Bank authorities failed to take salary slip or letter from her employer before accepting her version, the application adds.

Raja Ammar maintained that Cynthia D. Ritchie is an American national who was born in Louisiana, USA on 22-04-1976 as mentioned on her passport and she had also mentioned on social media her address of her studio room located in Louisiana, USA whereas she has mis-stated to the Pakistani authorities that she was born in California, USA.

He added that she has mis-declared that she has no business in USA whereas she has been declared as bankrupt in USA and in this regard copies of the default companies were provided to the police. He has also stated that she has mentioned her address 234-A, Street 13, Sector E-11, Islamabad whereas she has not provided any copy of the tenancy agreement to prove that she is residing in Sector E-II in Islamabad, whereas it is neither reported in her name nor reported to police as per rent laws.

Raja Ammar pleaded that since Cynthia D. Ritchie and the Bank staff are guilty of fraud, forgery, impersonation and wrong declaration and thus committed an offence punishable under Pakistan Penal Code as well as Banking Laws and State Bank Regulations therefore, an FIR may be registered under Section 420, 428, 468, and 478 of PPC and action be initiated against her, the concerned Bank Manager and others facilitators found involved in the fraud and forgery in connivance by gross mis-declaration.

He stressed that the accused and her facilitators be booked for their criminal negligence which may lead perhaps to some kind of money laundering from Pakistan.