Second time round: PHC dismisses Ghazan Hoti’s bail application

Counsel says his client never received any money in weapons procurement scam.

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday dismissed the bail application of former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Amir Haider Hoti’s brother Amir Ghazan. He was arrested on charges of taking kickbacks in a multi-billion-rupee contract to procure weapons for the K-P police.

The division bench of Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Qalandar Ali Khan was informed by Ghazan’s counsel that the National Accountability Bureau K-P had arrested a number of people, including his client, in the case. This was the second time since September 17, 2014 that the high court dismissed Ghazan’s bail application.



The counsel told the court that his client had remained abroad for seven years and the main approver Arshad Majeed said he paid Rs195 million to Raza Ali Khan. He said it was mentioned nowhere in the reference of corruption that the amount was given to Ghazan.

“Raza Ali has paid his amount to NAB and said in his statement that he did not give any money to Ghazan Hoti,” the applicant’s attorney said.  “The reference was filed and charges were not framed so keeping my client behind bars serves nobody’s purpose,” he asserted. He also stated there were constant delays in starting his client’s trials, while the other accused Raza Ali has been granted bail.

Deputy Prosecutor General Muhammad Jamil told the court there was no delay on NAB’s part to start proceedings. He added there was communication between Raza Ali Khan and Ghazan Hoti and records to prove this are available with them.

After hearing the arguments, the court dismissed the bail petition of Ghazan Hoti.

Ghazan was arrested on April 15, 2014 and spent 21 days in the custody of NAB after which he was sent to Central Prison Peshawar on May 7 of the same year. NAB has filed a reference of Rs2.03 billion against the suspects.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 9^th, 2015.