Karkay RPP case: AC extends three-day remand of accused to NAB

The Accountability Court (AC) hearing multibillion rupees 1illegal award of Rental Power Plants (RPPs) contract scam on Friday granted three-day physical remand of accused Muhammad Sher Malik to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Karkay RPP case. The NAB produced accused Muhammad Sher Malik before AC Judge Muhammad Arshad Malik and requested to extend his physical remand. The court after hearing the case reserved its judgment for some time and later remanded the accused till May 13 into NAB custody.
The NAB has filed 12 references relating to the RPPs in the Accountability Court. Former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf is the principal accused in the scam. Muhammad Sher Malik is accused of committing corruption, corrupt practices and misuse of authority in the award of contract to M/s Karkey. During the hearing, defence counsel told the court that following the recommendations of NAB, his client's name was placed on Exit Control List (ECL) in 2018. He said the NAB issued three summonses to his client but they did not prove any allegation against him and now they are pleading the court to extend his remand.
He said during investigations, NAB questioned his client about relation with Raja Babar Ali Zulqarnain. Zulqarnain is cousin of Malik, he said, adding that wives of Baber and Malik are sisters. Malik told the court, "We have business relations since 1996 but we have no partnership. Being a cousin we help each other and also conduct joint hunting. We have blood relation and our wives are also sisters."
He told that he has no link with this case; if NAB proves the case against him, he is ready to go to jail. He is also not nominated in other cases related to this scam, he said. The defence counsel said prosecution has come to know that there is nothing in this case. The NAB has filed reference against his client but so far proved nothing against him.
He said Zulqarnain had transferred Rs 8.3 million into Dubai Islamic Bank Islamabad which had been received by MS Karkey, adding that there is allegation of money laundering of over Rs 8.3 million. He further said another amount of Rs 50 million was transferred from Zulqarnain's account on July 2, 2009 to another bank account in Pakistan. Rs 2.5 million had been given to Zulqarnain six months prior to sending Rs 50 million to Dubai Islami Bank in Pakistan, he said. He questioned how a case can be made against his client under these circumstances, adding it is very easy to declare something money laundering but proving it is very difficult.