2 bigwigs pocketed $400m, SC told

SC directs ministry of water and power to submit records of rental power projects.


Qaiser Zulfiqar October 08, 2010

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday directed the ministry of water and power to submit records of rental power projects (RPPs), including policy documents on the projects, copies of the agreements with the rental power companies as well as tenders and offered bids, by October 21.

“Why was the need for rental power projects felt, and have the targets been achieved?” inquired Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry during the course of hearing of a suo motu case concerning the RPPs.

Faisal Saleh Hayat, parliamentary leader of the PML-Q in the National Assembly, while resuming his arguments before the three-member SC bench, submitted that the government will have to pay US$1.4 million against one megawatt power generation by the RPPs, whereas if the same amount was spent on the available sources in the country, 10,000 megawatts of electricity could be generated.

“Initially, RPPs had to generate 1,500 megawatts of electricity; why was a summary for 750 megawatts sent to parliament,” questioned Hayat, rhetorically.

He added that $400 million were taken as commission on these projects and two high-ranking figure benefited from this scam.

“We have been requesting the government for the last two years to provide records pertaining to its policy on rental power projects but this has not been provided,” the CJP observed. “What would be the power tariff and how was the $562 million deal made with a cargo company?” he asked.

Hayat submitted that the parliament failed to deliver justice that’s why he came to the Supreme Court.

“You have come to us, but tell us where should we go?” Justice Ramday asked, observing that “the critics of the Supreme Court threaten us with cutting our tongue”.

Hayat said that Nepra chairman Khalid Saeed is not an experienced and competent person, upon which the chief justice observed that the Senate passed a resolution against the Nepra chief which is a unique incident.

When counsel for Pepco and Wapda, Khawaja Tariq Rahim, arrived at the rostrum, the chief justice directed him to present the entire record of rental power projects to-date.

Justice Ramday asked him to inform the court as to how much electricity is being produced and how much is being utilised “because the rental system is a temporary arrangement”.

The counsel assured the bench that he will assist the court on this issue.

Justice Ramday asked Faisal Salah Hayat to name the two people who, according to him, profoundly benefited from this project - to which the PML-Q leader submitted: “Two bigwigs of the country”.

“Ok, alright. Don’t name them,” the court said.

Parliament, said Hayat, is being misinformed over this issue, adding that he was ashamed of being part of the assembly because of this.

The chief justice adjourned the hearing till October 21.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8th, 2010.

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