Court acquits ex-PSM head in graft case

Defers indictment of MQM-P leader, others accused of making illegal appointments

KARACHI:

An accountability court acquitted on Saturday former Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) chairperson Moin Aftab Sheikh and others accused in a reference for awarding illegal contracts and embezzling funds worth Rs130 million.

Announcing the verdict on the graft reference, the court stated that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had failed to produce strong evidence of the charges framed against the accused.

The counsel for Sheikh had pointed out the same while he presented his arguments before the court.

It has been years since Sheikh was accused of corruption, yet the NAB has not been able to prove allegations levelled against him, the counsel had said.

The NAB had nominated Sheikh in the reference on charges of misusing his authority to award illegal contracts and embezzling PSM’s funds.

Indictment deferred

Separately, an accountability court deferred the indictment of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leader Rauf Siddqui and others accused in a reference pertaining to illegal appointments in the Sindh Small Industries Corporation (SSIC) due to the absence of a co-accused, Sarwat Fahim.

The court was informed that Fahim couldn’t attend the hearing due to ill health.

At that, the court directed that Fahim ensured attendance at the next hearing on March 6.

According to the NAB, Siddiqui and other accused made illegal appointments in the SSIC between 2008 and 2014, causing a loss of Rs420 million to the national exchequer.

Besides Siddiqui and Fahim, six persons, including Mohammad Abid, Mushtaq Ali, Umar Ali, Mohammad Naeem and Syed Ayaz Hussain, have been accused in the reference.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2021.