Corruption charges: Court records statement of witness in Dr Asim case

Former minister accused of embezzling funds worth Rs462.5b

KARACHI: An accountability court recorded on Saturday the statement of a prosecution witness in a multi-billion-rupee corruption case against former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain and others.

This is the first testimony to be recorded in the Rs462.5 billion reference, which revolves around alleged gas, land and trust scams.

According to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Dr Asim, when serving as a minster between 2011 and 2013, colluded with some bureaucrats and illegally curtailed gas to the agriculture sector to benefit a ‘fertilizer cartel’. Due to this, the price of fertilizers was arbitrarily hiked in the country while the minister and his associates received kickbacks in return.

The same reference also charges Dr Asim with money laundering, running business under the cover of trust-owned hospitals and encroachment of public lands. Other accused named in the case are: former federal secretary Ejaz Chaudhry, Karachi Docks Labour Board’s former head Safdar Hussain, Karachi Development Authority’s ex-directors Athar Hussain and Masood Jaffery, and Ziauddin group’s finance director Abdul Hameed.

The witness, who appeared to be a former auditor of Ziauddin hospitals run by Dr Asim, told the judge that the private health facilities were not welfare institutions and were being used for business purposes. He referred to audits conducted between 2010 and 2014 and deposed that he never found the hospitals rendering services as ought to be done by a trust.

During cross examination, the witness said that he never met Dr Asim in person nor saw him at the hospitals. He quoted the names of two persons, Abdul Hammed and Irfan, with whom he was in contact during the audits.

The judge, Saad Qureshi, after recording the statement as first in the case, adjourned the hearing till May 21 and issued summons for other witnesses to appear.

After the hearing, the former minister spoke to the media and said that he has full confidence in the courts and hopes to get justice. “The more they [NAB] will spread lies, the more truth will come on forefront,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2016.