LNG case against Khaqan, others: Prosecution witness tells AC he did not give testimony before NAB

ISLAMABAD: A prosecution witness in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) case against former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and others on Tuesday told the Accountability Court that he has not produced any evidence before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) with respect to the LNG case.

The witness, Nasir Bashir, chief executive officer (CEO) of a private company while testifying before Accountability Court-II judge Muhammad Azam said that he has not produced any evidence regarding the LNG case before the NAB, when he was asked by Abbasi’s counsel Barrister Zafarullah Khan during the cross-examination that did you produce any evidence before the anti-graft body related to the instant reference.

At the start of the hearing, Zafarullah Khan filed an application before the court seeking one-day exemption of his client before it which the court approved.

When Abbasi’s counsel further asked the witness that what was the role of his company in the LNG project, he replied that his company was working as a commission agent. He further said that in the past his company was never part of any LNG terminal project.

To another question, he said that he had done a Bachelors in Commerce from the University of Karachi and has not done a Masters in oil and gas field. He further said that he is a small businessman by profession and CEO of a private company. The court adjourned the case till June 7 after Zafarullah Khan completed the cross-examination of the witness.

The NAB on December 4, 2019, filed the LNG case before the Accountability Court.

The bureau on August 6, 2020, filed a supplementary reference against former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and others, in connection with the LNG case.

The bureau has nominated Abbasi, Abdul Khaqan Abbasi, son of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Miftah Ismail, ex-MD PSO Sheikh Imran ul Haque, Agha Jan Akhtar, former chairman PQA, and Saeed Ahmed Khan, former chairman Ogra, in the supplementary reference.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022