An accountability court on Friday ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to provide a verified copy of the inquiry report related to the Oil and Gas Regulatory (Ogra) scam to the accused.
The court, while accepting three separate applications filed by former Ogra chairman Tauqeer Sadiq, renowned stockbroker Aqeel Karim Dhedhi and former Ogra board member Mansoor Muzaffar Ali, ordered NAB to provide a verified copy of the report to the accused in the case.
On May 26, the court had indicted Sadiq, Dhedhi and others in the Rs76.6 billion scam. On Friday, when the court resumed hearing the case, Dhedhi’s counsel, Raja Amir Abbas, maintained that the NAB’s reference was based on a fabricated report which should be verified from an inquiry officer. The court summoned NAB’s inquiry officer while directing the bureau to provide a verified copy to the accused. The court also summoned witnesses in the case and adjourned the matter till July 14.
According to NAB’s investigation, Sadiq issued over 500 licences for Compressed Natural Gas stations and obtained Rs300,000 as commission for each. Sadiq was appointed chairman of Ogra by the Pakistan Peoples Party government.
On November 25, 2012, the Supreme Court struck down Sadiq’s appointment who then fled to UAE from where he was taken into custody and brought back to Pakistan.
On March 12, 2014, the Islamabad High Court granted bail to Sadiq against two surety bonds worth Rs1 million each.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 5th, 2014.
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