Report submitted: NAB readies to declare Babar Ghauri proclaimed offender

Counsel informs advertisements had been published against absconders


Our Correspondent December 18, 2018
MQM leader Babar Ghauri. PHOTO: EXPRESS

KARACHI: An accountability court adjourned the hearing against former Karachi Port Trust (KPT) chairperson Javed Hanif and former ports and shipping minister Babar Ghauri, accused in a Rs2.8 billion corruption reference, till January 7 after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) investigative officer (IO) submitted a report.

The report revealed that the bureau had initiated proceedings to declare Ghauri and two other absconders proclaimed offenders and the court ordered to take appropriate measures in this regard.

The NAB counsel informed the court that advertisements had been published in newspapers against the absconders and that information was being collected regarding their property.

According to the NAB, eight suspects, including Hanif and Ghauri, illegally regularised 940 employees of the KPT, causing a loss of more than Rs2.8b to the national exchequer.

Exemption granted

An accountability court accepted the request of exemption from appearance filed by former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain and former petroleum secretary Ejaz Chaudhry, accused in Rs462b corruption reference, and adjourned the hearing till December 26.

Submitting the exemption plea, the lawyers for Dr Hussain and Chaudhry maintained that their clients had gone abroad with the permission of the court and thus, requested that they be exempted. The court accepted the exemption pleas.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18th, 2018.

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