Denied: Bail application of former police chief rejected

PHC dismisses plea for second time over weapons procurement scam .

PESHAWAR:

The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday rejected the bail application of former inspector general of police Malik Naveed Khan.

He was arrested for his alleged involvement in embezzling Rs2.03 billion in a Rs7 billion weapons procurement contract for the K-P police department between 2008 and 2010.

The high court reserved its judgment and dismissed the bail application of the former police officer. This was the second time the high court rejected his bail application. The case was being heard by the division bench of Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Muhammad Younis Taheem. The same has already been rejected by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

During the previous hearing on March 19, the counsel for the accused informed the court that his client was arrested on November 20, 2013 and remained in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau for 55 days. A corruption reference worth Rs2.03 billion was filed in an accountability court and there are 36 prosecution witnesses in the case. The counsel for the petitioner said there were six other suspects, all members of the inter-departmental purchasing committee, who had not been taken into custody.

Making grounds for Naveed’s bail, the counsel said there was a delay in the commencement of trials in this case. He said the former IG had been incarcerated in Central Prison Peshawar for around 16 months. “The medical board has recommended the suspect be taken to Aga Khan Hospital in Karachi as he is facing serious health issues,” claimed the attorney.

Naveed is accused of buying substandard SMGs, ammunition, heavy weapons, bulletproof jackets, night vision goggles and motorcycles.

Deputy Prosecutor General Muhammad Jamil pointed out to the court that dozens of policemen have been killed in encounters at an alarmingly frequent rate since. Jamil added that Naveed’s condition was not severe and could be treated inside the prison through a nebuliser.

There are total claims of Rs360 million against the former IG in the corruption reference, while a medical board has not been formed to ascertain his medical condition despite contrary claims by the defence counsel.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 1^st, 2015.