Awan alleged that the petitioner was implicated in a frivolous case PHOTO: IHC WEBSITE
The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the chairman and an investigation officer of the country’s top anti-corruption body on a bail application by an official of the Capital Development Authority (CDA).
Justice Aamer Farooq issued notice to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry and the investigation officer, Ehsan Qadir on a petition filed by the CDA deputy director Iftikhar Ali Haideri through his counsel Babar Awan for post-arrest bail.
On November 30, NAB officials reportedly arrested Haideri red-handed while receiving Rs4 million bribes allegedly from the owner of Safa Gold Mall. Haideri was called there by the owner of the mall to finalise a deal to put official record ‘straight,’ the reports added.
In the application, the counsel said maintained that the mall owner, Rana Abdul Qayyum, got illegal favour from Haideri. After achieving his objective, he connived with the investigation officer and arrested him.
Awan alleged that the petitioner was implicated in a frivolous case. He argued that there was no evidence to show that his client had interest in issuing clearance certificate to the owner of the mall.
Qayyum defaulted on payment of over Rs40.5 million to the civic agency for a plot in Sector F-7 Markaz, he claimed. Neither NAB authorities have the powers to conduct a raid to any place nor a case was registered by police or FIA, the counsel argued.
Awan alleged that Qayyum had been involved in a criminal activity in connivance with the officials of Employees Old Age Benefit Institution (EOBI) and caused over Rs376 million losses to it. Calling him the main beneficiary of the scam, Awan said that he was arrested only after the Supreme Court intervened in the matter by taking a suo motu notice.
He said that the allegations against the petitioner were afterthoughts and based on cooked up story. In addition, Haideri being a heart patient and suffering from diabetes and hypertension was in illegal custody of NAB.
He has prayed the court to release his client on bail as investigation has been completed.
The court adjourned the case for a date to be fixed by the registrar office.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 23rd, 2015.
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