On the third day of the trial of Muhammad Gohir Khan, the man charged with conspiring to murder Ahmad Waqass Goraya, a Dutch-based blogger and activist, the jury was told further details about how the alleged plot was hatched and cash transported to complete the deal.
Muzammil, a middleman who used the Whatsapp identities Mudz, Zed, and Papa, was in contact with Khan for several months in 2021, discussing the hit as well as payment for the job.
Muzamil deposited roughly £5000 into an Allied Bank account in Chiniot belonging to Muhammad Amin Asif. The money was part of an agreement between Khan and the middleman to assassinate Goraya, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.
Khan earned £4888 via Hundi transfer in the UK, which he used to buy tickets, schedule exams, and book his stay in the Netherlands.
The middleman was concerned about being linked to the bank account, so he and Khan talked for days about how to move the funds without being traceable, as well as the best exchange rate.
Khan’s activities were thought to be worth a lot of money, with a payoff of £100,000 on the table. According to the prosecution, the defendant was heavily in debt at the time and had no way of repaying his creditors.
The prosecution also detailed the “contract between Khan and the middleman,” which included an agreement to pay a total of £100,000, with £80,000 going to the defendant and the rest going to the middleman.
The trial is expected to resume this week. Khan has pleaded not guilty to the charge, claiming that his goal was not to kill Goraya but to steal money from Pakistani citizens.
Khan did not deny that he is the person identified by the police in the text messages and CCTV footage from numerous locations.
