ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court, hearing Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) case against former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior vice president Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former finance minister Miftah Ismail and others on Wednesday, completed cross-examination of another prosecution witness.
The Accountability Court-II judge, Muhammad Azam Khan, while hearing the case completed cross-examination of prosecution witness, Rizwan Mehdi, chief manager.
Advocate Tanveer Iqbal, counsel for Ismial and Dr Yeser Aman Khan, counsel for Saeed Ahmed Khan conducted cross-examination of the witness. At the start of the hearing, Abbasi and other accused filed separate applications before the court, seeking one-day exemption from appearance before the court, which the court approved.
The other accused in the case include former premier Abbasi, his son, Abdullah Khaqan Abbasi, former finance minister Miftah Ismail, ex-managing director (MD) Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Sheikh Imranul Haque, Agha Jan Akhtar, former chairman Port Qasim Authority (PQA), and Saeed Ahmed Khan, former chairman Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), in the supplementary reference.
To a question asked by advocate Tanveer Iqbal, the witness Rizwan said that system generated documents are such documents, which do not required signature; however, a specific note is given on that documents. It is also correct that there must be a specific reference from which system such document was generated, he said.
He said that it is correct that there is a reference in my statement recorded under Section 161 that who prepared these documents.
When Dr Yaser Aman Khan, counsel for Saeed Ahmed asked the witness that when did you appear before investigation officer (IO) of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), he replied that he has appeared before IO on September 4, 2019 and remained with him for about an hour.
He said that Muhammad Rizwan, director NAB, DG SSGCI and another unknown person were present when the IO was recording his statement. Everything was typed by that unknown person including my statement on laptop, he said.
The witness said that the unknown person took 20 to 25 minutes for typing my statement under dictation of the IO. I had produced four to five documents or charts before the IO, he said, adding that he had explained the nature of charts to the IO within five to 10 minutes.
The prosecution witness said that the IO also asked some questions from me after explanation of the charts. The five charts that I had given to the IO includes the details of payments made to Engro terminal against re-gasification and terminal charges since 2015 till July 2019, the payments made against the surveyor charges, the payments made against hydal capacity charges and the details of receivables from the SNGPL.
The court adjourned hearing of the case till September 14.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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