Non-compliance: Special judge summons officials in NICL scandal

They failed to attach properties of three proclaimed offenders in the case.

LAHORE:

In a court hearing concerning the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) scandal, Special Judge Central Farooq Altaf has summoned Commissioner Karachi, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad and Assistant Commissioner Lahore Cantt to appear before the court on August 23.

Despite the fact that the court had issued multiple notices to the officials to attach the properties of the proclaimed offenders (POs) in the case, they have failed to act.

The three POs are identified as Mohsin Habib Warraich, the son of former state minister for defence production Major (retd) Habibullah Warriach, and Amin Qasim Dada and Javed Syed, who formerly sat on NICL Board of Directors

On July 25 the court issued reminder notices to these officials; however they did not comply with the court’s orders.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had requested the court to try the proclaimed offenders (POs) under section 88 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

Sources in the FIA stated that this procedure is adopted when the accused are declared POs and have not appeared before the court. It also authorises the agencies to make the offenders forgo their properties.

Sources told The Express Tribune that as requested by the FIA Punjab chapter, the court had ordered Commissioner Karachi, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad and Assistant Commissar Lahore Cantt to immediately seal properties of the three POs.

Four properties of Warraich include a house in Cavalry ground Lahore, a farm house in Defence Raya Club Lahore, land measuring 803 kanal 19 marlas situated in Mauza Toor Warraich, district Lahore and a bungalow in DHA Islamabad.

Syed bungalow situated in Islamabad and Dada’s in Karachi is also to be sealed.

The FIA initiated the probe because an amount of Rs420 million is yet to be recovered from the accused and despite being summoned by the court repeatedly, officials have failed to appear before the investigators.

Furthermore, a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan has directed the FIA to retrieve the liable amount as soon as possible and to utilise all possible means to attain the end.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 18^th, 2012.