Kickbacks allegation: Former PM Ashraf, Tareen indicted in RPPs case

Accountability court rejects plea filed by ex-finance minister; counsel for Ashraf denies graft charges.


Our Correspondent June 04, 2014
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD:


An accountability court indicted former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and ex-finance minister Shaukat Tareen on Tuesday for their alleged involvement in the Rental Power Projects (RPPs) scam.


The court had summoned Ashraf and Tareen after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) distributed copies of the challan among respondents.

Ashraf, who was not present during the hearing, was represented by his counsel who denied all charges levelled against the former premier.

The court also rejected an application filed by Tareen who has requested the court to acquit him in the case. The proceedings were adjourned till June 20 and NAB was directed to present witnesses.

Ex-PM Ashraf, who served as the minister for water and power in the Yousaf Raza Gilani-led Pakistan Peoples Party government, is accused of receiving kickbacks in the RPP deals finalised during his tenure as minister.

The former premier is charged with concealing facts in the RPPs case while receiving approval for the contracts and making post-bid changes, causing financial losses amounting to $60 million to the national exchequer.

In 2012, the Supreme Court pulled the plug on RPP projects and ordered action against Ashraf and others accused after reports of alleged corruption and nepotism surfaced in leading newspapers across the country.

The co-accused in the reference include former water and power secretary Shahid Rafi, former additional secretary Sheikh Zarrar Aslam, Pepco former managing director Tahir Basharat Cheema, former directors Malik Muhammad Razi Abbas and Wazir Ali Bhayo, Tariq Nazir, Abdul Malik Memon, and Rasool Khan Mehsud.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4th, 2014.

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