Victims of Abu Dhabi Towers scam paid losses

ISLAMABAD: Twenty-three victims of Abu Dhabi Towers scam have been paid money orders of the amount they had lost in the residential flats scheme. Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday disposed off the case which had been taken up on a suo moto notice, after the owner of the Abu Dhabi Towers informed the court that the victims had been handed over the pay orders.

In the last hearing, the Supreme Court had directed Malik Sadiq, the owner of the Abu Dhabi Towers, to pay all the victims the amount they had claimed to have lost in the scam by September 2. The court had also ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to put the name of Malik Sadiq on the Exit-Control-List (ECL) and his passport had been confiscated by the NAB authorities.

The Supreme Court while giving its verdict on the case also asked the NAB authorities to release the manager of Abu Dhabi Tower Ghulam Qasim and Malik Sadiq’s son, who had been sent to jail on judicial remand. Court also directed authorities to de-freeze the accounts of Malik Sadiq.

“We will issue the request to concerned  authorities for the removal of Malik Sadiq’s name from ECL. His son and manager will also be released after completing all legal formalities,” said Kamran Illyas, assistant director investigation, NAB.

On  August 17,NAB had conducted a failed raid on the residence of Malik Sadiq in sector E-7, but Sadiq had eluded the arrest.

Later on the request of Sadiq’s wife, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court had taken a suo moto notice of the alleged disappearance of Malik Sadiq. In the last hearing in the Supreme Court, Sadiq had appeared and informed that he had deliberately gone in hiding fearing his arrest.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2010.