An accountability court has acquitted three accused including the former chairman of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) Moeen Aftab over lack of evidence in a corruption reference worth Rs900 million.
The accountability court has announced its verdict today in a reference filed against Rs900 million corruption by awarding an illegal contract for coal purchases after misusing authority. PSM ex-chairman Moeen Aftab, director commercial Sameen Asghar and contractor Abdul Rasheed were nominated in the reference.
It is pertinent to mention here that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed nine corruption references against Moeen Aftab.
NAB officials said that Aftab and Asghar were facing charges of misusing their authorities for awarding an illegal contract to Abdul Rasheed which he had purchased on higher than the market rates.
The anti-corruption unit had opened an investigation into the matter in 2010, which was later transferred to NAB over directives of the Supreme Court.
Moeen Aftab had been acquitted in two out of nine corruption references filed by the anti-corruption watchdog.
Meanwhile, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has opposed a plea seeking acquittal of Abdul Ghani Majeed, a key accused in fake bank accounts case.
Abdul Ghani Majeed have sought acquittal in the fake bank accounts case.
The Accountability Court hearing multi-billion rupees fake bank account case, in a previous hearing sought arguments of defence counsel over the acquittal application filed by Majeed.
“Abdul Ghani Majeed is a beneficiary of Omni Group and key accused in fake bank accounts case. The NAB is investigating him in different cases of fake bank accounts,” NAB said in its reply.
“Majeed is a close aide of former Director-General of Sindh Building Control Authority (DG SBCA) Manzoor Qadir Kaka,” NAB further said.
The bureau sought the accountability court to reject the acquittal plea filed by Ghani Majeed in its written reply filed in the court regarding Majeed’s acquittal application.
Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Azam Khan while hearing the case had asked the defence in previous hearing to argue on acquittal application of Majeed.
Separately, an Accountability Court (AC) on Thursday deferred indictment of former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and other accused in a graft case related to awarding alleged illegal advertisement contract.
Accountability Judge Azam Khan resumed the hearing of the case as Ex-PM Gilani didn’t show up before the court.
The judge deferred indictment of the accused owing to the absence of the PPP leader and other accused and decided to frame charges against them on the next hearing slated for Feb 13. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) approved filing corruption references against former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and others for their alleged involvement in illegally awarding an advertising contract in violation of Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Ahsan Iqbal has moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to seek his bail in Narowal Sports City corruption case.
A petition has been filed by Ahsan Iqbal in the high court to seek bail in Narowal Sports City Complex corruption case. The petition stated that Iqbal has not rejected to appear before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). It added that he had been arrested on December 19 when Iqbal appeared in an investigation session.
It read that the project was a matter related to a province which had been given approval at every forum. The petitioner said that he is not facing any illegal benefits or bribery, whereas, the anti-corruption watchdog has not filed any reference against Ahsan Iqbal.
The petition which makes the NAB chairman as the party sought bail of Ahsan Iqbal in the corruption case.
Ahsan Iqbal is accused of using funds of the federal government and Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) for a sports city in Narowal. He had already filed a reply to a questionnaire given to him by the bureau previously.
NAB had announced to initiate a probe into alleged violation of rules in the construction of the National Sports City project – a day after its inauguration by the then President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain.
The anti-graft watchdog in a statement said it had received a complaint that the Narowal Sports City was constructed at a cost of approximately Rs6 billion, which is a violation of rules and had resulted in heavy losses to the national exchequer.
