SHC reserves verdict on Sharjeel Memon's bail plea
Former information minister is accused of corruption in information and archive dept
PPP leader Sharjeel Memon. PHOTO: PPI
KARACHI:
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday reserved its verdict on the bail plea of former provincial information minister Sharjeel Memon, accused in the Rs5.76 billion corruption reference in the Sindh information and archives department.
A two-member bench comprising Justice KK Agha and Justice Omar Sial heard the bail pleas in which the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) prosecutor maintained that Memon has been accused of abuse of authority. The prosecutor added that they had received a complaint against the Sindh government instead of Memon.
The investigation officer (IO) said that the advertising company had paid less money to the channel while a bigger amount was collected from the Sindh government. The court remarked that this was a matter between the advertising agency and the channel and asked the IO how he would prove that Memon collected a bribe.
The IO replied that the instance doesn't prove that Memon collected a bribe but added that the minister abused his authority.
Cross-examination of witness continues
The court inquired as to how many people have been accused in the reference to which, the IO replied that 17 people were accused in the case. He added that they were trying to get the trials completed within six months. There are a total of 52 witnesses in the reference, out of which 10 have given their statements. The hearing of the reference is held on a daily basis.
Corruption in police dept
The same bench adjourned the hearing of bail pleas till June 25 in a corruption reference against former Sindh IGP and ordered the accused to ensure his presence at the next hearing.
The bench heard the bail pleas of former IG Ghulam Hyder Jamali, AIG Tanveer Tahir and others accused of corruption in the police department. The court expressed annoyance over the absence of the counsel, Farooq H Naek, and three accused. The bench inquired as to where the accused were and why they hadn't appeared before the court. One of the counsels for the accused, Naeem Shah, informed that his client was told to appear on June 21 which is why he was absent. The junior lawyer further said that Naek was busy with a standing committee and asked that the hearing be adjourned.
The court ordered all the accused to ensure their presence in the court at the next hearing.
Advocate Naek submitted the document for power of attorney on behalf of an accused, Makhdoom Syed Faiz Mustafa.
According to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), police officials, Tahir, Ateequr Rehman and Shafiq have submitted plea bargain requests which have been sent to the headquarters.
The court had ordered NAB officials to reach a decision regarding the accused's plea bargain requests by April 18.
The accused, who include former Tahir, Fida Hussain Shah, Kamran Rashid, former AIG Faisal Bashir Memon, Sardmad Midhat Hussain, Ali Asghar and others, face allegations of committing corruption in the police feeding fund. Salaries of the police officials were also deducted and the accused gave contracts to people of their choice without tenders. They allegedly caused a loss of Rs150 million to the national exchequer. The reference was filed on the complaint of controller general of accounts.
Time granted
The high court granted NAB officials more time to file a reference against Nasir Ali Shah Bukhari in a millions of rupees corruption reference and adjourned the hearing till August 20.
The same two-member bench heard the bail plea by the accused in which the NAB director-general (DG) appeared before the court on judicial orders. The counsel for the accused maintained that his client has a business outside the country and asked that his name be removed from the exit control list (ECL).
The investigation officer said that the accused has his businesses in China and other countries where he has some bank accounts. The inquiry related to the bank accounts is under way. The court inquired from the IO what action they had taken against Bukhari. The IO informed that they had written a letter to China for the inquiry.
The court ordered the NAB DG to solve the case within ten days. NAB's prosecutor maintained that the reference would be filed within a month.
According to NAB, Bukhari has taken loans from different banks of Pakistan and invested in businesses outside the country. He hasn't returned the loans to the banks.
Sharjeel Memon resigns from Sindh Assembly's PAC citing NAB case
Forwarding case to FIA
While hearing another case, NAB officials informed the bench that they were forwarding to the headquarters the request pertaining to the transfer of the Rs26 million corruption case against Auditor-General Ghulam Akbar Sohu to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
NAB DG Farooq Nasir Awan appeared before the court on judicial orders. Justice Sial inquired from him as to what the standard operating procedure (SOP) was and which cases can be investigated by NAB.
Awan replied that NAB has the authority to investigate the cases pertaining to the properties more than income. He added, however, that the NAB transfers corruption cases of less than hundred million rupees to other agencies. He further said that NAB has the authority to investigate the case if more than one people are accused of embezzling less than Rs100 million.
NAB's prosecutor maintained that the auditor-general has been accused of embezzling Rs26 million rupees. The court adjourned the hearing indefinitely.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 21st, 2019.
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday reserved its verdict on the bail plea of former provincial information minister Sharjeel Memon, accused in the Rs5.76 billion corruption reference in the Sindh information and archives department.
A two-member bench comprising Justice KK Agha and Justice Omar Sial heard the bail pleas in which the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) prosecutor maintained that Memon has been accused of abuse of authority. The prosecutor added that they had received a complaint against the Sindh government instead of Memon.
The investigation officer (IO) said that the advertising company had paid less money to the channel while a bigger amount was collected from the Sindh government. The court remarked that this was a matter between the advertising agency and the channel and asked the IO how he would prove that Memon collected a bribe.
The IO replied that the instance doesn't prove that Memon collected a bribe but added that the minister abused his authority.
Cross-examination of witness continues
The court inquired as to how many people have been accused in the reference to which, the IO replied that 17 people were accused in the case. He added that they were trying to get the trials completed within six months. There are a total of 52 witnesses in the reference, out of which 10 have given their statements. The hearing of the reference is held on a daily basis.
Corruption in police dept
The same bench adjourned the hearing of bail pleas till June 25 in a corruption reference against former Sindh IGP and ordered the accused to ensure his presence at the next hearing.
The bench heard the bail pleas of former IG Ghulam Hyder Jamali, AIG Tanveer Tahir and others accused of corruption in the police department. The court expressed annoyance over the absence of the counsel, Farooq H Naek, and three accused. The bench inquired as to where the accused were and why they hadn't appeared before the court. One of the counsels for the accused, Naeem Shah, informed that his client was told to appear on June 21 which is why he was absent. The junior lawyer further said that Naek was busy with a standing committee and asked that the hearing be adjourned.
The court ordered all the accused to ensure their presence in the court at the next hearing.
Advocate Naek submitted the document for power of attorney on behalf of an accused, Makhdoom Syed Faiz Mustafa.
According to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), police officials, Tahir, Ateequr Rehman and Shafiq have submitted plea bargain requests which have been sent to the headquarters.
The court had ordered NAB officials to reach a decision regarding the accused's plea bargain requests by April 18.
The accused, who include former Tahir, Fida Hussain Shah, Kamran Rashid, former AIG Faisal Bashir Memon, Sardmad Midhat Hussain, Ali Asghar and others, face allegations of committing corruption in the police feeding fund. Salaries of the police officials were also deducted and the accused gave contracts to people of their choice without tenders. They allegedly caused a loss of Rs150 million to the national exchequer. The reference was filed on the complaint of controller general of accounts.
Time granted
The high court granted NAB officials more time to file a reference against Nasir Ali Shah Bukhari in a millions of rupees corruption reference and adjourned the hearing till August 20.
The same two-member bench heard the bail plea by the accused in which the NAB director-general (DG) appeared before the court on judicial orders. The counsel for the accused maintained that his client has a business outside the country and asked that his name be removed from the exit control list (ECL).
The investigation officer said that the accused has his businesses in China and other countries where he has some bank accounts. The inquiry related to the bank accounts is under way. The court inquired from the IO what action they had taken against Bukhari. The IO informed that they had written a letter to China for the inquiry.
The court ordered the NAB DG to solve the case within ten days. NAB's prosecutor maintained that the reference would be filed within a month.
According to NAB, Bukhari has taken loans from different banks of Pakistan and invested in businesses outside the country. He hasn't returned the loans to the banks.
Sharjeel Memon resigns from Sindh Assembly's PAC citing NAB case
Forwarding case to FIA
While hearing another case, NAB officials informed the bench that they were forwarding to the headquarters the request pertaining to the transfer of the Rs26 million corruption case against Auditor-General Ghulam Akbar Sohu to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
NAB DG Farooq Nasir Awan appeared before the court on judicial orders. Justice Sial inquired from him as to what the standard operating procedure (SOP) was and which cases can be investigated by NAB.
Awan replied that NAB has the authority to investigate the cases pertaining to the properties more than income. He added, however, that the NAB transfers corruption cases of less than hundred million rupees to other agencies. He further said that NAB has the authority to investigate the case if more than one people are accused of embezzling less than Rs100 million.
NAB's prosecutor maintained that the auditor-general has been accused of embezzling Rs26 million rupees. The court adjourned the hearing indefinitely.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 21st, 2019.