NAB to file reference against Dr Asim in accountability court tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: The country's top anti-graft body is expected to submit a case against former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain in an accountability court tomorrow (Friday), said an official source from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday.

Last month, an accountability court in Karachi told NAB to file a reference against Dr Asim by March 5, expressing displeasure at delay in the court proceedings.

On August 26 last year, paramilitary Rangers took Dr Asim, the close confidante of former president Asif Ali Zardari, into custody for his alleged involvement in embezzling millions of rupees, including medical treatment to terrorists.



While talking to The Express Tribune, the source added that the case will be filed against Dr Asim to put him on trial for alleged large-scale corruption.

Dr Asim’s collaborators, senior officials from Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL), will also face the trial as the co-accused, he said.

Further, the source said NAB investigators had also conducted investigation against the officials producing documents of the scam.



Besides the main accused, three former managing directors and a serving MD of SSGCL and some other officials were found involved in the illegal deal, the source maintained.

On February 22, an investigator officer told the court that investigation into five charges, including corruption, misappropriation, creating artificial shortage of natural gas, money laundering, illegal use of his private hospital and land grabbing, had been finalised.

The former federal minister was accused of financial irregularities and favoritism while awarding contracts to a private company, causing a loss of Rs17.338 billion to the exchequer.



Besides misappropriation of money, Dr Asim was accused of providing treatment to terrorists — militants working for political and religious groups — who were injured in shootouts with the law enforcers or with rival groups.