In custody: Former CM Hoti’s relative arrested in weapons scam
Raza Ali Khan, brother-in-law of the ex-CM’s brother Ghazan Hoti, remanded along with former adviser Niaz Ali Shah.
Former chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Amir Haider Hoti's brother Ghazan Hoti and a former adviser to the CM have been remanded to NAB. PHOTO: EXPRESS/ FILE
PESHAWAR:
Brother-in-law of former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister’s (CM) brother Ghazan Hoti and a former adviser to the CM have been remanded to National Accountably Bureau (NAB) in a weapons purchase scam worth Rs7 billion.
An accountability court made the decision on Tuesday when the NAB arrested and presented Ghazan Hoti’s brother-in-law Raza Ali Khan and special adviser to former CM, Niaz Ali Shah, seeking their remand in order to continue NAB’s investigation into the scam.
NAB Special Prosecutor Lajbar Khan told the court Niaz received Rs20 million as bribe for awarding the contract for purchase of weapons, and Rs10 million of this amount was paid in US dollars in the presence of two people identified as Zahid Ayub and Faisal.
Accountability judge Wilayat Ali Khan questioned Niaz’s role in approving the contract worth billions of rupees, to which the prosecutor replied that Niaz played the role of a middleman and removed any legal hindrances in the way of getting the deal approved.
“The accused also bypassed legal channels in the contract and NAB officials need time to investigate the matter,” said Lajbar.
The special prosecutor further claimed Raza Ali Khan received Rs3 million for himself and Rs195 million for Ghazan Hoti, former chief minister Amir Haider Hoti’s brother, adding that Raza was also staying in the CM House at the time.
“The amount was received from the main contractor, Arshad Majeed, and later paid to other influential people to get the deal approved without any legal objections,” contended Lajbar. He added that the people involved would soon be arrested.
In response, Raza’s counsel Umer Adam Khan said his client had no link to the weapons scam or the contract in question, and he used to visit the CM House because he was a relative of the former CM.
“My client is neither a bureaucrat nor a businessman, he was only arrested in the case so he could be pressurised to take Ghazan’s name. When NAB already knows who the perpetrators are then why are they not arresting them,” questioned Umer.
The court then questioned Lajbar Khan and investigation officer Inayat Khan on the identities of the influential people they intended to arrest, but the officials refrained from naming them in court saying they might flee.
After hearing arguments from both sides, judge Wilayat handed both accused over to NAB’s custody for 14 days.
Former inspector general police Malik Naveed is already in NAB’s custody in connection with the case. Naveed is accused of misappropriating Rs1.82 billion in the procurement of the Rs7 billion weapons contract during his tenure as police chief from 2008-2010.
Two other accused, contractor Arshad Majeed and police department budget officer Khalid Khan, had also been arrested. Majeed later voluntarily paid Rs102 million while Khalid paid Rs42 million.
Meanwhile, according to a press release issued by K-P NAB on Tuesday, a Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited contractor, Wakeel Khan, was arrested in a corruption case. Wakeel is accused of causing substantial loss to the exchequer through a fake tendering process in connivance with a project director at Bannu Development Authority (BDA). Another accused, Shamsur Rehman, an assistant director at BDA, was also arrested earlier.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 8th, 2014.
Brother-in-law of former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister’s (CM) brother Ghazan Hoti and a former adviser to the CM have been remanded to National Accountably Bureau (NAB) in a weapons purchase scam worth Rs7 billion.
An accountability court made the decision on Tuesday when the NAB arrested and presented Ghazan Hoti’s brother-in-law Raza Ali Khan and special adviser to former CM, Niaz Ali Shah, seeking their remand in order to continue NAB’s investigation into the scam.
NAB Special Prosecutor Lajbar Khan told the court Niaz received Rs20 million as bribe for awarding the contract for purchase of weapons, and Rs10 million of this amount was paid in US dollars in the presence of two people identified as Zahid Ayub and Faisal.
Accountability judge Wilayat Ali Khan questioned Niaz’s role in approving the contract worth billions of rupees, to which the prosecutor replied that Niaz played the role of a middleman and removed any legal hindrances in the way of getting the deal approved.
“The accused also bypassed legal channels in the contract and NAB officials need time to investigate the matter,” said Lajbar.
The special prosecutor further claimed Raza Ali Khan received Rs3 million for himself and Rs195 million for Ghazan Hoti, former chief minister Amir Haider Hoti’s brother, adding that Raza was also staying in the CM House at the time.
“The amount was received from the main contractor, Arshad Majeed, and later paid to other influential people to get the deal approved without any legal objections,” contended Lajbar. He added that the people involved would soon be arrested.
In response, Raza’s counsel Umer Adam Khan said his client had no link to the weapons scam or the contract in question, and he used to visit the CM House because he was a relative of the former CM.
“My client is neither a bureaucrat nor a businessman, he was only arrested in the case so he could be pressurised to take Ghazan’s name. When NAB already knows who the perpetrators are then why are they not arresting them,” questioned Umer.
The court then questioned Lajbar Khan and investigation officer Inayat Khan on the identities of the influential people they intended to arrest, but the officials refrained from naming them in court saying they might flee.
After hearing arguments from both sides, judge Wilayat handed both accused over to NAB’s custody for 14 days.
Former inspector general police Malik Naveed is already in NAB’s custody in connection with the case. Naveed is accused of misappropriating Rs1.82 billion in the procurement of the Rs7 billion weapons contract during his tenure as police chief from 2008-2010.
Two other accused, contractor Arshad Majeed and police department budget officer Khalid Khan, had also been arrested. Majeed later voluntarily paid Rs102 million while Khalid paid Rs42 million.
Meanwhile, according to a press release issued by K-P NAB on Tuesday, a Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited contractor, Wakeel Khan, was arrested in a corruption case. Wakeel is accused of causing substantial loss to the exchequer through a fake tendering process in connivance with a project director at Bannu Development Authority (BDA). Another accused, Shamsur Rehman, an assistant director at BDA, was also arrested earlier.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 8th, 2014.