Toshakhana case: Prosecution witness denies any document bearing Zardari's signature

ISLAMABAD: A prosecution witness, while testifying before the Accountability Court in Toshakhana case involving former president Asif Ali Zardari and two former premiers said that he had no document that bear signatures of Zardari.

The prosecution witnesses Waqarul Hassain, assistant excise and taxation officer of the Excise and Taxation Department (ETD) Islamabad, while recording statement before Accountability Court judge Syed Asghar Ali in Toshakhana case, said that he had no document which bears signatures of the accused, Zardari, where he had requested for registration and vehicles.

The witness said this when he was asked by the Defence Counsel, Farooq H Naek, that did you have any document that bear signature of Zardari during cross examination.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed the Toshakhana reference against Zardari, and two former prime ministers, Nawaz Sharif and Syed Yousaf Gilani, and others, for allegedly acquiring vehicles and gifts from Toshakhana in violation of rules and regulations. According to the NAB Gilani had given three luxury vehicles to former president Asif Ali Zardari and one to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from Toshakhana.

When Naek asked the witness that did he had any document that show that Zardari had purchase those documents. The witnessed replied in negative. He said that we have completed all codal formalities, while registering these vehicles.

We have not raised any objection regarding sale and purchase of these vehicles, he said.

It is correct that he has not produced any document that shows accused Zardari has sought any relaxation or amendment in the rules. The NAB Deputy Prosecutor General, Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi, said that those questions were irrelevant.

The witness further told the court he had joined the Excise and Taxation Department (ETD) Islamabad as assistant excise and taxation officer in February 2019. He is working as assistant excise and taxation officer in the new registration wing of the ETD.

"My immediate officers were excise and taxation officer (ETO) and director ETD," he said. He further told the court that there was a record room in ETD. I have attested the documents produced by him before the NAB investigation officer (IO), he said, adding that it was correct that the stamp on the documents was the stamp of the ETO.

The witness further said that he had not specially mentioned on the documents attested by him that he had compared it with the original documents.

Naek completed cross examination of the prosecution witness. At the start of the hearing, the associate of Zardari's counsel and counsel of Abdul Ghani Majeed filed separate applications before the court, seeking to grant one day exemption to their clients from personal appearance before it, which the court has approved.

During the hearing, Abbasi and an associate of Naek exchanged harsh words and hurled abuse at each other, when the later (Abasi) requested the court to record statement of another witness after completion of cross examination.

Abbasi told the court that there was clear direction of the Supreme Court to hear corruption cases daily, and without adjournment.

On this, the deference counsel said that is the Supreme Court direction especially for this case.

The NAB prosecutor said that as per law, the Accountability Court would complete trial of corruption references filed by the NAB within 30 days.

The defence questioned that the trial of which case had been completed within 30 days.

The court after exchange of harsh words between the prosecution and defence, adjourned the case for 15 minutes.

When the court resumed hearing after adjournment, Naek told the court that he had completed cross examination of one witness, and he could not cross examine another witness, therefore, adjourn the case.

The court adjourned hearing of the case till November 10, and summoned two more witnesses for recording of their statement.

According to the bureau, the evidence collected during the course of inquiry and investigation has established that the accused, Gilani in order to extend illegal benefit to the accused, Zardari and Sharif, illegally allowed the retention of vehicles gifted to them by various foreign states and dignitaries, which at that time belonged to the Central Pool of Cars, Cabinet Division, relaxing the procedure of Toshakhana illegally.

According to the NAB, accused, Zardari and Sharif, had retained the said vehicles against the nominal payment of 15 percent of total value of the vehicles.

The accused, Zardari, made the payment for vehicles and duties of these vehicles through accused, Khawaja Anwer Majid and Khawaja Abdul Ghani Majid, from "fake" bank accounts.

The accused, Gilani, former prime minister and minister-in-charge Cabinet Division from 2008-2012 had "illegally" relaxed the procedure for the acceptance and disposal of gifts, issued by the government through the Cabinet Division OM no.9/8/2004 TK dated June 25, 2007.

According to these rules, "gifted vehicles shall not be allowed to be purchased by the recipients and be given to the Central Pool of Cars of the Cabinet Division."

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020