Reference against Omni group head returned

Accountability court drops case following NAB law amendments

ISLAMABAD:

An accountability court on Tuesday returned the fake bank accounts case filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against Omni Group head Abdul Ghani Majeed to the anti-graft body citing lack of jurisdiction.

The order, which follows the recent amendments in the accountability law, was issued by the court of Judge Muhammad Bashir as cases under the corruption of Rs500 million cannot be taken up in light of the amendments in the NAB Ordinance.

The court in its order said after the changes in the NAB laws, references concerning fake bank accounts cannot be probed in the accountability court.

It is pertinent to note that accountability courts have so far returned 300 corruption references due to lack of jurisdiction.

Abdul Ghani Majeed, Muhammad Shabir, Muhammad Hanif, Abdullah Shah and others were named by the NAB court in a reference to buying plot through benami accounts.

The court said that the accused purchased a plot worth nearly Rs260 million for which over Rs174 million were paid through fake accounts. The remaining amount was paid in cash.

Since the corruption case involved only Rs240 million – less than Rs500 million – it could not be probed.

The court ordered the reference to be sent back to the NAB chairman.