Former Ogra chief Tauqir Sadiq. PHOTO: FILE.
An Abu Dhabi court on Monday ordered the deportation of former chairman of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) Tauqir Sadiq – the principal accused in an Rs82 billion scandal, The Express Tribune has learnt.
The Federal Court of Abu Dhabi also ordered local immigration and police authorities to ensure the completion of Sadiq’s deportation process within a month.
According to the court order, Sadiq should be deported to Pakistan before July 3, 2013. The court passed its orders after receiving a formal request from the Pakistan government. However, Sadiq has the right to file an appeal against this verdict before July 3, 2013.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Headquarters Prosecution Wing’s legal consultant, Shumayal Aziz, pursued the case on Monday in the Abu Dhabi court. During the hearing the NAB counsel argued that Sadiq has been declared a proclaimed offender (PO) by Pakistan’s courts and Interpol has also issued a red warrant for Sadiq, who is wanted by NAB in a multibillion-rupee OGRA corruption case.
Presenting his arguments before the court, the NAB counsel said Sadiq’s stay in Abu Dhabi was not legally justified anymore as his passport and visa had already been cancelled respectively by Pakistan’s government and Abu Dhabi administration.
“Pakistan’s apex court has also directed NAB to bring back Sadiq through deportation or extradition,” the NAB counsel informed the court during arguments on Monday. The NAB team probing the OGRA case also investigated Pakistan’s Ambassador in the UAE Jameel Ahmad Khan and Community Welfare Attaché Farooq Langhove on 28 and 29 May on charges of creating hindrance in bringing Tauqir back to Pakistan.
During the investigation, the Pakistani ambassador and the community welfare attaché assured NAB of their full cooperation and said they would use maximum diplomatic influence in bringing Sadiq back to Pakistan.
According to NAB sources, Ambassador Khan revealed during the course of investigation that an assistant minister of Abu Dhabi, while conversing with one of his native colleagues in his presence, had said that some influential Pakistani dignitaries were backing Sadiq and trying to stop his deportation.
Sadiq had fled to the UAE last year when the Supreme Court of Pakistan declared his appointment as Ogra chairman illegal and ordered his arrest in a mega corruption scandal worth more than Rs80 billion. Sadiq’s alleged close links with the PPP leadership had reportedly played a major role in his escape from Pakistan despite cancellation of his passport and his name being on the Exit Control List (ECL).
Sources said NAB would try to make sure that the accused does not use his right of appeal regarding further stay in Abu Dhabi and would strongly oppose if his appeal is accepted by the appellant court.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 4th, 2013.
COMMENTS (3)
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An example should be set for the future. However that should also include the officers of OGRA as well as the Political masters in order to create a deterrent for the future for the Politicians and the concerned officers of the departments who for the sake of their own interest or because of any kind of pressure contribute in the scam.
Rs.100 says a way will be found by our Civilian and Military leaders to keep him from coming back to Pakistan and sing in court the names of those who shared Rs 82 billion with him
Will an exemplary punishment to Tauqir Sadiq,if charges are proved against him in the court, deter or create fear of law amongst those who are compulsive corrupts?