The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has decided to file supplementary reference against former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and other accused in connection with the liquefied natural gas case after Eid -ul-Fitr.
The NAB prosecutor informed Accountability Court judge-II Muhammad Azam Khan, while hearing multi-billion rupees LNG case that the bureau had decided to file supplementary reference against the accused as some new evidence had come to light during the investigation.
During the hearing, Abbasi, Saeed Ahmed Khan, former chairman Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), Uzma Adil Khan, chairperson OGRA, and some other suspects, were present in the courtroom during the hearing.
The NAB officials told the court that after filing interim reference in the LNG scam some new evidence have surfaced during the investigation.
They further told the court that the bureau will include evidence against Abbasi's son Abdullah Khaqan and other family members in the supplementary reference. The bureau officials further told the court that it will present the transaction records of Abdullah Khaqan's accounts in court. It claims that after the LNG terminal contract was awarded, billions of rupees entered the accounts of the former premier's family. They further told the court that despite having no means of income, Abdullah Khaqan also had deposits made into his account.
The NAB prosecutor further told the court that they could not file a final reference yet as they were unable to shift some records from Karachi.
Judge inquired about accused Shahid M Islam, former managing director (MD) Pakistan State Oil (PSO).
The Investigation Officer (IO) of NAB, Malik Zubair, told the court that the accused Islam has fled abroad and there is no information about his whereabouts therefore he requested the court to start the process of declaring him a proclaimed offender.
The court approved the NAB request to declare Islam a proclaimed offender.
The court after hearing the arguments adjourned hearing of the case till June 11.
Abbasi, while talking to media outside the court, said that the present government itself was most annoyed with the NAB today.
From day one, we are urging amending the NAB laws but the government is making various excuses, he said, adding that his party had already forwarded proposed amendment in the laws to the government.
Abbasi also said that now those who were in the government would appear in the Accountability Courts.
He said that the NAB had "destroyed our country".
To another question, Abbasi said that Shehbaz Sharif was the president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and there were no differences within the party.
The former premier said that presently coronavirus was one of the biggest challenge but unfortunately the government in the Centre was busy fighting with provincial governments.
It was the job of the prime minister to unite the country but he has divided it, he said.
The NAB had filed interim reference in the LNG scam in December last year.
Those who are nominated in the reference for misusing their authority include, Abbasi, Ismail, ex-MD PSO Sheikh Imranul Haque, Agha Jan Akhtar, former chairman Port Qasim Authority (PQA), Saeed Ahmed Khan, former chairman Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), Aamir Naseem, former member oil OGRA, Uzma Adil Khan, chairperson OGRA, Shahid M Islam, former MD PSO, and Abdul Samad Dawood.
According to the NAB reference, one company had been provided benefits of over Rs21 billion from March 2015 to September 2019.
The benefits provided to the company will incur loss of Rs47 billion to the national exchequer because the contract would continue till 2029, the reference says.
The reference says that the contract will cost the public more than Rs68 billion over 15 years in terms of gas bills. Former MD PSO Haque had played an important role in signing of the contract.
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