Weapons scandal case: Trial to start anew as four police officials summoned

Advocate says proceedings may take three more years to reach existing position

PESHAWAR: The trial in the weapons scandal case is likely to start afresh after a Peshawar High Court bench ordered four senior police officers to appear before the accountability court.

The serving deputy IGP, including Sadiq Kanal Orakzai, Abdul Latif Gandapur – who has retired – Kashif Alam – who was recently appointed as DIG in Islamabad – and Dr Muhammad Salman, agreed to appear before the accountability court.

The case was registered three years ago and an enquiry was launched in purchase of weapons for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police in 2009-2010. A reference worth Rs2.03 billion was prepared against 10 people, most of them serving police officers.

Former IGP Malik Naveed, among three others, was arrested on November 20, 2013 and had been in jail for more than two years. During this period, the high court has dismissed his bail petitions.

On July 7, 2015, the former IGP and former budget officer of police Javed Khan were indicted for receiving kickbacks from a private contractor, incurring a huge loss to the national exchequer.

Naveed’s counsel Advocate Sattar Khan said the trial may take three more years if started afresh to reach the existing position.

“This is discrimination as a former IGP is behind bars,” Advocate Sattar Khan said. “He has no role [in the matter] while those who procured the weapons are yet to be arrested,”

While arguing before a PHC bench recently on bail application of the IGP, Sattar said Malik Naveed was 67-years-old and having serious health problems.

According to NAB prosecutors, the bureau has rejected three plea bargain offers. They said the former IGP offered to pay Rs40 million and then Rs80 million, while NAB demanded Rs360 million.

The plea bargain offers, they said, were made during the investigation period. Sattar Khan said as Naveed had no role in the procurement of weapons. As a result, he was not ready to reach any agreement
with NAB.

“It was procurement committee’s discretion to award tender and purchase weapons,” he said.

Charges framed against Naveed pertain to processing and approving award of contracts of bullets, semiautomatic machine guns, heavy weapons, bullet proof jackets, and night-vision goggles. He was also accused of making advance payment of Rs189 million to the contractor.

NAB said he received Rs360 million in kickbacks from contractor Arshad Majeed and purchase of Chinese motorcycles for the police though it was not approved by inter-departmental purchase committee.

Former chief minister Amir Haider Hoti’s brother Amir Ghazan Hoti, has already been acquitted by the accountability court after his front man Raza Ali paid Rs200 million.

Budget officer Javed had returned Rs42 million, contractor Majeed paid Rs102 million and become an approver, former adviser to CM Niaz Ali Shah paid Rs20 million in plea bargain and was released. The remaining police officers were not summoned for framing of charges as their role was clearly described in the reference.

The provincial government had approved Rs7 billion for purchase of weapons for ill-equipped K-P police in 2009-2010 when militancy in the province reached its peak.

NAB said that around Rs2.03 billion were embezzled and a reference was filed against 10 persons. According to bureau the contract was awarded to a firm that had no previous experience of supplying such items, while payments were made in advance in sheer violation of rules and regulations.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 13^th, 2016.