Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh is a Pakistani-Kittitian businessman who founded diploma mill company Axact. He was arrested on May 19, 2015 after the May 17th edition of The New York Times published an in-depth report exposing the fake degree business. Subsequently, Axact was sealed on May 28, 2015 and the Information ministry requested the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority to close down BOL. He was given bail prior to his conviction, the case filed against him on the charges of alleged fraud, extortion, and money laundering. In July 2018, the court announced a 20-year jail sentence to him along with 22 others regarding the fake degree case, and was subsequently sentenced in September 2018.
Arrest
Following the publication of the New York Times article, Pakistan's Interior MinisterKhizer directed the country's Federal Investigation Agency to begin inquiry into whether the company was involved in any legal business. Following the interior minister’s order, cyber crime team of FIA raided Axact’s office in Karachi and Islamabad and seized computers, recorded statements of employees as well taking into custody 25 employees of the company and 28 employees from Rawalpindi office. The FIA team found and seized several blank degrees as well as fake letterhead of the US State Department. The investigation was transferred from the FIA's cyber crime department to its corporate department. Regarding the New York Times article it is known that Shoaib Shaikh had made over $89 million Dollars and had laundered money through shell companies in the US and more offshore companies which were used to fund Axact and their news company BOL. https://www.pakistankakhudahafiz.com/axact-fraud-empire-bigger-than-initially-imagined-nyt-report-details-new-revelations/The issue was also taken up in Senate of Pakistan where Chairman of the SenateRaza Rabbani constituted a committee to probe into the issue. Pakistan's tax authorities and the SECP also initiated investigations into the company. On May 26, 2015, Federal Investigation Agency arrested Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh for investigation. The case was filed against him on May 27, 2015 in Karachi, Pakistan. On September 26, 2018, Shaikh was sentenced to 7 years in prison for the diploma mill conspiracies, along with several other accomplishes. His wife was acquitted of all charges. Shaikh holds a Saint Kitts and Nevis passport, which he acquired through the country's citizenship-by-investment program.
