Rs50m embezzlement: SHC seeks plea bargain details from NAB

Corruption case in Sukkur Women Development Programme adjourned till Dec 10

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court asked the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday to submit the plea bargain report by December 10 regarding the Rs50 million corruption reference involving the Sukkur Women Development Programme.

A two-member bench heard the petition filed by programme director, Badar Jamil Mendhro, and others requesting bails. The defence counsel maintained that one of the case suspects has made a request for a plea bargain with NAB. The court inquired about the plea bargain request and sought a report from NAB. The NAB prosecutor informed the court that the case had been filed and statements were recorded. The defence counsel, Shaukat Hayat, maintained that Shahbaz Soomro, a suspect in the case, had also filed a request for plea bargain but the NAB chairman has not taken a decision on the application. The NAB prosecutor replied that the decision on the application will soon be made. According to NAB, Badar Jamil Mendhro and others embezzled Rs50m from the Sukkur Women Development Programme.

PPP MPA Babal Bhiyyo

The SHC on Monday granted extension to the defence counsel till November 23 to make preparations for the bail plea in the case of Pakistan Peoples Party's former MPA Babal Bhayo. A two-member bench, headed by Justice Iqbal Kalhoro, heard the bail plea.

The NAB prosecutor maintained that a reference has been filed against the suspect in an accountability court. The counsel for the suspect requested the court for a copy of the reference. The court admitted the request and adjourned the case.

According to NAB, illegal transactions in excess of Rs5.6m were made from the suspect's account of the suspect. The defence counsel told the court that NAB had seized two cars owned by Bhayo and that the cars were not the property of the case. According to NAB, both the cars recovered from the suspect were case properties.

Dr Asim case

The SHC indefinitely adjourned the case hearing due to the absence of the defending lawyers pertaining to Dr Asim Hussain's arrest by the Rangers. A two-member bench heard the petition filed by Dr Zareen, wife of Dr Asim, against the arrest. The junior lawyer informed that Advocat Abid Zuberi couldn't appear before the court as he was busy. The petitioner maintained that Dr Asim was accused of providing shelter and treatment to terrorists in 2015. Dr Asim's wife had challenged the arrest in the SHC. 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2018.