Court grants bail to Fawad in financial fraud case

Former federal minister accused of allegedly accepting Rs5 million from citizen as bribe for employment

ISLAMABAD:

A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Tuesday granted bail to former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry in a financial fraud case. 

Approving Fawad's bail, the court ordered the submission of a surety bond of Rs 0.1 million. 

Fawad served as the federal minister during the tenure of the PTI government. The case revolves around allegations that the former minister received Rs5 million during his tenure in government on promises of giving employment to an individual.

Previously on Jan 6 an accountability court in Islamabad approved the physical remand of Fawad for another four days in the corruption case regarding a construction project in Jhelum at the request of the National Accountability Bureau.
Read NAB summons Fawad Chaudhry

Corruption case

It should be noted that on Dec 3 the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) in Rawalpindi booked Fawad, his cousin and frontman and others in a case about allegedly taking millions of rupees in bribes and misuse of authority for grant of a no-objection certificate (NOC) and public land acquisition for the establishment of a private housing society in Dina area of GT Road.

Sources told The Express Tribune that the alleged involvement of other public and private officials will be determined during the investigation. The case was registered after legal action was approved as a result of an inquiry on the source report.

The ACE Rawalpindi launched a probe into the issue in April 2023. Evidence about the alleged misuse of power by Fouq Sherbaz and Fawad Chaudhary and taking more than Rs10 million from the administration of the private housing society emerged during the inquiry, it said and added that the inquiry officer recommended filing a case against the accused.

As a result of the findings, the ACE Rawalpindi registered a case against the accused and formed teams for their arrest.