Arms scandal: NAB asked to produce investigation file before PHC

Defence counsels oppose the watchdog’s request for further remand of the accused.

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday asked investigation officials of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to present the investigation file regarding an alleged arms scandal.

On February 22, NAB arrested a contractor, Arshad Majeed, and Javed Khan for their alleged involvement in misappropriation in a Rs7 billion procurement deal of arms for the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) police. The deal was forged in 2009-10 for purchasing arms, ammunition, related equipment and vehicles for the provincial police force.

Four days later, Khan’s residence was raided and Rs40 million worth of automatic rifles along with expensive handguns were recovered. The accused was later produced before the NAB court, which refused the corruption watchdog’s application seeking further physical remand of the suspects.

NAB’s prosecutor general Jamil Khan appeared before the PHC on Wednesday and requested physical remand for the accused. However, Javed Khan’s counsel Abdul Latif Yousafzai argued NAB’s request cannot be entertained.



Yousafzai said Jamil Khan could not request the court for further remand without first obtaining a written approval from the bureau’s chairman. He added the request was contrary to Section 8(c) of the National Accountability Bureau Ordinance, 1999.

“Special prosecutor general accountability, after approval of Chairman NAB, may conduct prosecution of cases and appoint advocates to institute or defend cases, appeals, petitions, applications and all other matters before any court, or tribunal including the high courts and Supreme Court in matters arising out of or relating to proceedings under this ordinance,” Yousafzai read out from the said regulation.

Majeed’s counsel Barrister Mudassar Amir told the bench that instead of interrogating members of the purchasing committee, NAB arrested their clients on abetment.

The bench later asked NAB’s investigation expert Colonel Hussain Afridi to produce the scandal’s report before the court so that Amir’s reservations may be addressed. The case has been adjourned till next month.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th, 2013.