ISLAMABAD: Pakistani YouTuber Saadur Rehman, popularly known as “Ducky Bhai,” on Sunday accused the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) of mental and physical torture after his arrest earlier this year on charges of promoting gambling and betting applications.
He made the accusations in an hour-long video on his YouTube channel, his first after being granted bail last month, in which he gave a detailed account of his interrogation in custody.
Rehman was arrested by NCCIA in August from the Lahore airport while he was trying to travel to Malaysia to attend an event on invitation. He was granted bail by the Lahore High Court on Nov. 25 but was not released from custody immediately.
“I don’t want anyone to think that the purpose of this video is to offer any justification for the FIR [first information report] that has been filed against me,” Rehman said in a YouTube video posted on his channel. “I am simply here to apologize.
If any of my content has had a negative impact to date, I apologize for that.”
He said he was going to accept the court verdict in the case.
“Let the court handle this matter legally. I am ready to fully cooperate with the courts and am doing so,” he continued. “I will fully cooperate with the agency and accept whatever decision the judge makes in my case.”
Rehman also alleged that NCCIA Lahore Additional Director Sarfraz Chaudhry abused him verbally and physically, slapping him multiple times while questioning him about how he earned a large income.
He said Chaudhry accused him of “corrupting the minds of children,” highlighting that NCCIA officials had seized around $326,000 from his Binance account, closing all his trades, converting his cryptocurrency into US dollars and transferring the funds.
It is pertinent to mention that Chaudhry was removed from his post in September following multiple controversies involving him, Rehman’s family and online gambling.
In October, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested six NCCIA personnel on allegations of misusing their authority and taking bribes.
The complaint in the case was filed against nine persons including eight NCCIA personnel, with the FIA Anti-Corruption Circle in Lahore, following a complaint by Rehman’s wife, Aroob Jatoi.
Rehman is one of Pakistan’s most popular YouTubers. He has uploaded over 750 videos on the video-sharing platform and has amassed over 8.38 million subscribers.
He was also booked by Pakistan’s Motorway Police this year in April for performing dangerous stunts while driving.
