Dormant graft case: Swiss case spectre likely to return again

Supreme Court asks NAB about the money in Swiss banks.

ISLAMABAD:

A graft case that cost the PPP a prime minister is likely to haunt President Asif Ali Zardari again.

While hearing a case of the illegal appointment of two NRO beneficiaries, the Supreme Court on Tuesday hinted at taking up the Swiss case matter very soon.

A three-judge bench — headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry — told the NAB prosecutor general that after adjudicating the illegal appointments case, the court would examine the Swiss case matter, which involves bringing back the money lying in Swiss banks.

Justice Chaudhry said that although the government has written a letter to Swiss authorities, seeking reopening of a dormant graft case against Zardari, it was necessary to know about the money lying in Swiss banks.

On July 19, 2012, the Supreme Court had disqualified the then prime minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, from holding a seat in Parliament from the date of his conviction on April 26 by a seven-member bench for contempt of court.



Gilani had refused to write a letter to the Swiss authorities in defiance of the court orders, saying that President Zaradri enjoyed constitutional immunity from criminal prosecution.

Gilani’s successor, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, however, consented to initiate the process to draft a letter that would satisfy the court’s requirements. Subsequently, the letter was sent to the Swiss authorities.  In reply, the Swiss authorities reportedly said that President Zardari enjoyed immunity from criminal prosecution as the head of state.

At Tuesday’s hearing, the court also directed NAB to furnish the certified copies of the references, which were filed regarding the illegal appointment of Adnan A Khawaja as managing director of the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and Ahmad Riaz Sheikh Additional as director general of the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA).

NAB Prosecutor General KK Agha told the bench that the NRO judgment had been implemented and the progress report in this regard was also furnished to the judge who was monitoring this matter.

Justice Chaudhry told Agha that Justice Nasirul Mulk had recused himself from this case; therefore this bench was going to proceed in this regard.

Regarding the case about the illegal appointments of Khawaja and Sheikh, the NAB prosecutor submitted that they had filed two references, in which Additional Interior Secretary Ahsan Raja, Establishment Division former secretary Ismail Quraishi and FIA Deputy Director Urooj-ul-Hassan were nominated as accused.

The court, however, asked Agha why the names of NRO beneficiaries were not included in the references. Later, seeking the certified copy of references, the bench adjourned the hearing till today (Wednesday).


Published in The Express Tribune, June 5^th, 2013.