Court orders show-cause notice to IO

The accountability court was hearing a corruption reference against Sharjeel Memon

KARACHI: An accountability court ordered on Saturday to issue a show-cause notice to the investigation officer of a case pertaining to assets beyond means against former provincial minister Sharjeel Memon, over his failure to submit a report on the proclaimed offenders.

Sharjeel's mother Zeenat Inam Memon and his wife Sadaf Sharjeel, who are among the co-accused in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference, filed for an exemption from appearing in court for the case. In a previous hearing, the court had summoned Sadaf and other accused to appear on Saturday.

The court adjourned the hearing till January 4. It also ordered to issue a show-cause notice to the IO for his failure to submit a report.

The corruption reference filed by NAB stated that the investigators had found solid evidence of financial irregularities against the accused person. It also claimed the availability of records that confirm the charges of possessing assets beyond their known sources of income against the suspects. The accused persons have been charged with corruption of over Rs2.27 billion.

Sharjeel Memon resigns from Sindh Assembly's PAC citing NAB case

Sharjeel is also facing another reference pertaining to his alleged involvement in corruption worth Rs5.75 billion, where he is accused of awarding government advertisements at exorbitant rates during his appointment as the Sindh information minister.

Adjourned

Meanwhile, an accountability court adjourned on Saturday the hearing of a corruption reference of Rs462 billion rupees against Dr Asim Hussain, a close aide of former president Asif Ali Zardari, and others till January 7, due to the absence of witnesses.

The witnesses for NAB  did not appear before the court, while Dr Asim is out of the country for medical treatment, as permitted by the court. 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2019.