NAB moves IHC against Zardari’s acquittal

ISLAMABAD:

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday challenged the acquittal of Asif Ali Zardari in two corruption references, arguing that the accountability court had concluded its trial without following set procedure.

In its application submitted before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday, NAB stated that the trial court decided the case hastily following an application filed under section 265-K (power of court to acquit accused at any stage), without collecting the necessary original record and documents from the Supreme Court.

On November 24 an accountability court had acquitted Zardari after he sought exoneration contending that the case — receiving kickbacks on government contracts from Societe Generale Surveillance (SGS) and Cotecna — had been politically motivated.

The court approved the appeal, noting that neither fresh evidence nor original foreign documents had
been presented.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd,  2015.