LESCO graft case: Magistrate allows 5-day remand extension

FIA officials want to question top LESCO officials more closely.

LAHORE:

A judicial magistrate on Saturday extended for five more days the physical remand of two top Lahore Electric Supply Company’s (Lesco) officials, who are accused of corruption and abuse of power.

In the last hearing, the judge had handed over Lesco’s chief executive Arshad Rafique and General Manager (Operations) Mehboob Ali to Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on a four-day physical remand.

On Saturday, the FIA officials presented both the accused before the magisterial court and requested a remand extension on the plea that they needed to question them about their modus operandi adopted by them for wrongful gains.

They said both the accused were involved in illegally diverting surplus electricity to textile units and depriving the domestic consumers for personal gain.

They said for the last one year Lesco’s CEO had not withdrawn his salary from his bank account, which had been seized now.

The FIA official also claimed they had recovered Rs644,000 in cash from the CEO’s residence, adding that he had four plots in four different societies, including Defence Housing Authority.

The counsel for the accused rejected the FIA’s claim and said the agency had recovered only Rs100,000 from Arshad Rafique residence. He alleged that the FIA had also taken along the jewellery from his house.

The counsel implored the court not to send the accused on further physical remand.

However, the court after hearing the arguments of both parties, handed the accused to the FIA on a five-day physical remand.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2014.