The Lahore High Court on Thursday granted interim bail to PML-Quaid leader Moonis Elahi in the National Insurance Corporation Limited (NICL) scam case till March 17.
A division bench headed by Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry ordered him to submit surety bonds worth Rs10 million and two personal sureties of the same amount.
However, the bench criticised Elahi for making statements in the press expressing doubts that the courts would grant him relief and advised him not to issue any further statements till the case is decided.
“You have seen how the court has given the relief of bail to you. This court is really annoyed at how you and your men were staging a drama against the integrity of the court by giving statements in the media much before the court’s decision,” Justice Chaudhry said.
Elahi replied that he made the statements when the arrest warrants were issued by the lower court and he was “very upset”.
The Special Banking Court issued an arrest warrant for Elahi for his alleged role in the NICL scam on February 26.
In his petition for bail, Elahi’s counsel SM Zafar alleged that Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Additional Director-General Zafar Ahmed had faked evidence to implicate his client in the case because he had a personal enmity with the Elahi family.
He said that Elahi had answered a questionnaire received from the FIA before going abroad and informed the investigating officer concerned regarding his return. He submitted that when Elahi returned, he appeared before the investigating officer to record his statement, but was turned away.
Zafar submitted that the FIA filed an incomplete charge-sheet declaring Elahi an absconder before the Special Banking Court. He asked the court to set aside the arrest warrant issued by the court.
After hearing the argument, the bench granted Elahi interim bail and issued notices to the federal government and investigation officer for March 17.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 11th, 2011.
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