Court issues non-bailable arrest warrant for Rauf Farooqi

NAB chairman ordered to investigate illegal use of seized properties by bureau's officials

KARACHI: An accountability court issued non-bailable arrest warrants for former Karachi administrator Rauf Akhtar Farooqi on Monday in a corruption reference of more than Rs3 billion against Babar Ghauri and others. The court issued the warrants due to the absence of the accused. The court has directed to term Ghauri and others absconders and ordered to arrest Farooqi till January 21 and present him before the court.

Ghauri and eight others have been nominated in the reference including Farooqi, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) MPA Javed Hanif, and Mehmood Sharif. The accused were charged for 940 illegal appointments in Karachi Port Trust in 2012 and were responsible for a loss of Rs2.88b to the national exchequer.



Illegal use of land

An administrative judge of the accountability court has ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman to immediately investigate the illegal use of seized properties. According to the court's order, the officers and employees of NAB are to be evicted from seized properties and those who are illegally using the seized properties will have to pay a rent of 5.5 years.

In the administrative judge's order, it was said that the monthly rent be charged on the basis of current market rate and strict action be taken against those who used the seized properties and those who gave permission for its use. The seized Bungalow Number 45/3, street number 31, Phase V extension, DHA is still in the use of a NAB officer. The illegal use of the seized properties is under way since July 3, 2013. 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 8^th, 2019.