Weapons scam suspect opts for Rs195m plea bargain

NAB spokesman says Raza Ali Khan submitted his application to bureau chairman.

LAHORE:
One of the suspects in a multi-billion rupee scam to purchase weapons for the police has opted for a Rs195 million plea bargain, The Express Tribune learnt.

Raza Ali Khan has submitted his application to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhry, said insiders.

When contacted, NAB Spokesman Hafiz Muhammad Irfan confirmed Raza Ali submitted the application under Section 25(b) of the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999. He said that bureau had recovered almost Rs200 million in this case.


On September 24, 2014, the three-member Supreme Court bench of Justice Saqib Nisar, Justice Ather Saeed and Justice Azmat Saeed dismissed the bail application of former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) IGP Malik Naveed and Raza Ali Khan, the brother-in-law of Ghazan Hoti. The latter is the brother of former K-P chief minister Amir Haider Hoti.

NAB K-P, after receiving complaints, authorised an inquiry against K-P police officers and others for alleged embezzlement in the procurement of weapons, equipment and vehicles in 2008-10. It said the suspects violated government rules and caused huge losses to the national exchequer.

Following a request by the police department, the K-P government approved the purchase of weapons to improve law and order in the province. An amount of over Rs7 billion was released by the government for the deal. An enquiry revealed the purchase committee awarded tenders to contractors who had no previous experience of supplying weapons and payments were made in advance.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 1st, 2014.
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