Arms scandal: PHC rejects applications of former K-P police chief, Hoti’s brother
Defendants had earlier requested the petitions against them be quashed.
Peshawar High Court. PHOTO: FILE
PESHAWAR:
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday rejected applications of former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) police chief and former K-P chief minister’s brother in an arms scandal case.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had earlier arrested Arshad Majeed, a contractor, and Javed Khan, a budget officer, for their alleged involvement in misappropriation in an arms and ammunition procurement deal for the K-P police worth Rs7 billion in 2009.
Majeed later agreed to pay Rs102 million to NAB. While recording his statement before Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Ilyas Khan, Majeed disclosed former K-P police chief Malik Naveed was also involved in the scam. In addition, Majeed confessed to bribing former K-P chief minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti’s brother Ghazan Azam Khan.
Naveed, on the other hand, contended all actions by NAB were allowed without lawful authority as the bureau’s chairman had earlier been sent home by the apex court. The ex-police chief requested NAB be prevented from initiating any inquiry or arresting him.
During the hearing on Tuesday, a division bench comprising PHC Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Asadullah Khan Chamkani observed NAB recorded Majeed’s statement before the judicial magistrate after he voluntarily became an approver in the case.
The bench maintained the apex court’s decision against the NAB’s former chairman was debatable, and added the judgment of a court takes effect from the date it is signed and thus cannot take effect retrospectively.
The court further observed the bureau had proceeded in a well-planned manner and had refrained from obtaining arrest warrants or extending any threats. “The petitions, in our view, are immature and cannot be maintained,” said Justice Khan, dismissing the applications.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 26th, 2013.
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday rejected applications of former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) police chief and former K-P chief minister’s brother in an arms scandal case.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had earlier arrested Arshad Majeed, a contractor, and Javed Khan, a budget officer, for their alleged involvement in misappropriation in an arms and ammunition procurement deal for the K-P police worth Rs7 billion in 2009.
Majeed later agreed to pay Rs102 million to NAB. While recording his statement before Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Ilyas Khan, Majeed disclosed former K-P police chief Malik Naveed was also involved in the scam. In addition, Majeed confessed to bribing former K-P chief minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti’s brother Ghazan Azam Khan.
Naveed, on the other hand, contended all actions by NAB were allowed without lawful authority as the bureau’s chairman had earlier been sent home by the apex court. The ex-police chief requested NAB be prevented from initiating any inquiry or arresting him.
During the hearing on Tuesday, a division bench comprising PHC Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Asadullah Khan Chamkani observed NAB recorded Majeed’s statement before the judicial magistrate after he voluntarily became an approver in the case.
The bench maintained the apex court’s decision against the NAB’s former chairman was debatable, and added the judgment of a court takes effect from the date it is signed and thus cannot take effect retrospectively.
The court further observed the bureau had proceeded in a well-planned manner and had refrained from obtaining arrest warrants or extending any threats. “The petitions, in our view, are immature and cannot be maintained,” said Justice Khan, dismissing the applications.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 26th, 2013.