A division bench of the Sindh High Court comprising Acting Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar and Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi on Monday granted bail to Nadeem Ahmed advocate, alleged ex-Director of Callmate Ltd, against a surety of Rs2.5 millions.
Nadeem Ahmed was arrested by National Accountability Bureau officials on June 15, on a non-bailable warrant issued against him and other absconding accused by an accountability court of Karachi in a reference.
Seven persons are accused in the case (03/2012) including former directors, former CFO and others. One of the co-accused, an ex-director Hassan Jameel, was arrested a few days back which led to the arrest of Nadeem Ahmed.
Another ex-director, Ajmal Ansari is already on a protective bail from Lahore High Court and his case is fixed for June 18 in the Sindh High Court.
The investigation into the scam was initiated by the NAB on a complaint of the management of CALLMATE who took over the company from above directors on the basis of major share holding.
The former management is accused of 1) cheating public at large by issuing calling cards worth Rs 120 million but neither the cards were activated nor amount was returned to the public as yet; 2) cheating with PTCL, PTA, FBR approximately amounting to Rs 2 billion; 3) siphoning of funds abroad on the pretext of phony sales approximately amounting to Rs 2 billion; 4) misuse of company funds for purchase of properties from benamidars amounting to Rs500 million.
On the basis of investigation team’s report, NAB reference was presented before the Executive Board for decision and after its approval a reference 3/2012 was filed in the accountability court and subsequently non-bailable warrants were issued against all the accused persons.
Arguing before the high court bench on Monday, Anwar Mansoor Khan and Siddique Mirza advocates submitted that Nadeem Ahmed was working as a legal adviser of the firm and had resigned before the alleged scam.
This was a case of further inquiry, the counsel said pleading for bail.
The counsel for NAB opposed the bail submitting that it was instead a case of common intention and collaboration of all the co-accused including absconding accused.
The bench, however, through a short order admitted the accused to bail against a surety of Rs2,500,000.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 19th, 2012.
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