Investment scam: Two witnesses record statements via Skype

Prosecutor, lawyers say e-court proceedings will go a long way in quick dispensation of justice .

RAWALPINDI: Two prosecution witnesses recorded their statements via Skype in a Rawalpindi accountability court in a corruption case, on Wednesday.

Special Judge Accountability Court-III Sohail Nasir allowed the two prosecution witnesses — National Accountability Bureau (NAB) official Shoaib Mahmood in Sukkur and Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan Registrar Shaukat Hussain in Islamabad — to record their statements in a fraud case.

Accused Muhammad Arshad was arrested by NAB for defrauding 37 people of Rs32.049 million through his Islamic Investment Company.

The accountability court has framed charges against the accused while declaring his brother, Muhammad Nazeer, absconder.

Before the proceeding started, the court staff had installed a 40-inch LED screen to see the prosecution witnesses who were also cross-examined by the defence lawyers.

A large number of lawyers and mediapersons witnessed the online proceeding.

While briefing the local reporters, the accountability courts’ acting Registrar Muhammad Salman Ashraf said that the e-court technique was being used for the first time in courts working under the federal law ministry across the country.

He said that there had been some precedents where courts in Pakistan used video teleconferencing facility to record statements.

He mentioned that an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi recently recorded the statement of US journalist and lobbyist Mark Siegel in the former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto assassination case.

“The law allows courts to use video teleconferencing system to record statements of witnesses in criminal cases,” the registrar said, adding that the use of modern technology would help courts decide cases speedily.

Public Prosecutor Waqar Abbasi said that the use of e-technology was beneficial for both prosecution and defence.

The prosecutor said that both the prosecution witnesses could not make it to the court in person and instead, they recorded their statements via Skype while sitting in their respective offices.

While talking about the case, he said that initially, the accused returned profits to investors but later disappeared with their money.

He said that the NAB had arrested Arshad from Karachi while trying to flee the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 23^rd, 2016.