Not guilty?: Ali Musa given ‘clean chit’ by NA panel

Panel chief, however, says ‘let the law take its own course’.

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Narcotics Control surprised many on Tuesday by giving Ali Musa Gilani a ‘clean chit’ in the ephedrine case.

After an informal meeting was held to deliberate over the findings of the Anti Narcotics Force, the NA panel reached a consensus saying: “(there is) no solid evidence against Ali Musa Gilani … a man who remained at the centre of the ephedrine quota scam.” The ANF had submitted its initial findings to the committee last week.

The committee’s chairman Murtuza Javed Abbasi said “I went through 76 recorded statements, and in my view he appears to be not guilty.”

The ANF report stated that a pharmaceutical company, namely M/S Berlex Lab International, Multan, was allocated a quota of 6,500 kg of ephedrine on the alleged recommendation of Ali Musa Gilani. The NA committee’s chairman expressed concerns over these findings, saying M/S Danas Pharma (pvt) Limited, Islamabad, had managed to receive an exaggerated quota by employing the influence of officials.

The NA panel observed that some top officials in the Ministry of Narcotics Control and the ANF were in fact involved in the multi-billion-rupee scam, a member of the committee Moazam Ali Khan Jatoi said. He, however, said it was up to the Supreme Court to take a decision.

According to Murtuza Abbasi, there is no need for the NA committee to convene further meetings on the issue.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2012.

� p;xL��mily:"FedraSerifA Book";mso-bidi-font-family:"FedraSerifA Book"; color:black;letter-spacing:-.3pt'>The court has issued a notice to Narcotics Secretary Zafar Abbas Lak to appear in the next hearing to defend his alleged role in obstructing investigations. The court indicated that it could proceed against Lak for his misconduct in the ephedrine case after ANF officers informed the bench about Lak’s alleged interference and the subsequent transfer of the entire investigation team.

 

Brigadier Fahim, however, still remained skeptical over gaining access to certain documents including the list of visitors at the prime minister secretariat and said some quarters were creating hindrances.

Faheem complained that he had given the names of the accused to be placed on the exit control list, but that two of them managed to leave the country as no action has been taken as yet.

When the chief justice asked what happened to the huge quantities of ephedrine, Brigadier Faheem said it was smuggled by companies as reports indicated that 6,400 kg of it was seized by Iranian authorities, 750 kg was intercepted in Iraq and 200 kg in Karachi.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2012.