Swindling earthquake victims: PHC rejects bail plea of former income tax commissioner

Counsel for the accused argues bail accepted of three other suspects in the case

PESHAWAR:

The Peshawar High Court on Thursday rejected the bail application of former Abbottabad Income Tax department commissioner Asif Haider Orakzai who was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau.

He was charged with preparing bogus income tax refunds in 2008-9 by collecting signed cheques from victims of the earthquake that devastated Abbottabad in 2005. The division bench of Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Muhammad Daud Khan rejected the bail of Asif Haider after hearing arguments from both sides. This is the second time the PHC rejected his bail.

On August 7, the PHC released three suspects in the income tax scam and five accused in the Nathiagali housing scheme scam. The court released upper division clerk Muhammad Saddiqui, lower division clerk Ali Afsar and a man named Jehangir Hussain in the income tax case.

The counsel for the accused informed the court his client was arrested on March 24, 2014, along with two others, in the instant case. He said his client was refused bail, but the applications of three others were accepted. Later, Asif Haider approached the Supreme Court, while NAB also filed a petition against the bail of the other three.

The SC sent the cases back to the PHC and his client also withdrew the case with the direction to reconsider his position. Subsequently, the PHC granted bail to two of the accused, but not to Hussain after accepting it initially in August 2014.

The counsel for the petitioner said his client’s role, if any, was the same as the other suspects who were granted bail. There are around 70 witnesses in this case, while only six have been heard by a trial court.

Additional Deputy Prosecutor General Umer Farooq said other suspects who obtained bail from the court were subordinates of Asif Haider. The accused reportedly told earthquake victims to open accounts so donations could be deposited in them. However, they allegedly swindled the money and used it for their own purposes.

Asif Haider Orakzai was arrested on March 25, 2014, along with Muhammad Sadiq and Ali Afsar. NAB has filed a corruption reference worth Rs83.3 million against seven people including these three suspects.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 17^th, 2015.