Elahi’s aide absolved of corruption charges

Senior civil judge rejects ACE’s request for physical remand of accused

RAWALPINDI:

A local court in Rawalpindi dismissed on Thursday the allegations of corruption of Rs300 million in a sugar scam case against the ex-principal secretary of former Punjab chief minister Chaudhary Pervez Elahi and Punjab Assembly’s former secretary, Muhammad Khan Bhatti.

Discharging Bhatti from the case, Senior Civil Judge Ghulam Akbar rejected the request of the investigation team of Rawalpindi Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) for his 10-day physical remand.

The court while rejecting the arguments for the physical remand of the accused, asked the probe team to continue investigating the case and inform the court in case any evidence was found.

“If any evidence is found against the accused, the court should be informed first and then any legal action should be taken,” the court remarked.

Bhatti’s counsels Lahore District Bar President Mian Irfan, Mukhtar Ranjha and Intizar Hussain advocates adopted the stance that the charges of corruption and bribery levelled against the accused were concocted and based on political vendetta.

They upheld that no evidence was produced in the court in support of these allegations and only verbal accusations were made which had no standing in the eyes of law.

“No request for physical or judicial remand can be granted if the suspect is innocent,” the defence counsels argued and added that the case amounted to be dismissed with an honourable acquittal of the accused. “Therefore, the case may be dismissed and the petitioner discharged.”

On the other hand, the public prosecutor and the probe team adopted the position that the case was just registered and the evidence will come out in the investigation. “10 days physical remand of the accused may be granted for investigation,” the prosecution argued.

The court, however, rejected the prosecution’s plea and remarked: “Physical remand cannot be granted without any evidence on record.”

Talking to the media, the defence counsels alleged that the Rawalpindi ACE director was the son of a former minister of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz whose younger brother, Bilal Yameen, was the current party candidate from Kotli Sattian.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 21^st, 2023.