The Accountability Court hearing multibillion rupees fake bank account case on Wednesday directed National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to produce all the accused in the Pink Residency reference before it on the next hearing to be held on July 4. Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Arshad Malik while hearing the case asked the NAB to produce all the accused on the next hearing and provide copies of reference to them.
The NAB officials produced former secretary Land Utilisation Department (LUD), Sindh Board of Revenue, Omni Group's Abdul Ghani Majeed, Aftab Memon, Abdul Jabbar Memon, Muhammad Shabbir and 15 other accused before the court.
The reference pertains to a project titled 'Pink Residency' in Karachi's Gulistan-e-Jauhar area. The accused had alleged involvement in illegal regularisation of two plots in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. One of the plots measured 23 acres of land while the other was of seven acres.
The anti-graft body has alleged that financial transactions related to the illegally regularised plots were conducted through fake bank accounts. The NAB estimates that the illegal land regularisation and consequent sale caused a loss of Rs 4 billion to national exchequer.
During the hearing, the court ordered to produce Abdul Ghani Majeed before the court on Thursday (today).
The defence counsel informed the court that NAB officials on Tuesday night took Abdul Ghani Majeed into custody from a hospital in Karachi. The NAB should inform the court why it has not produced his client before the court.
The judge asked the investigation officer (IO) of the case about the whereabouts of Majeed. "So far I do not know whether or not NAB Karachi has arrested Majeed," the IO told the court.
On this the defence counsel said if NAB has not arrested his client then his name should be placed in the list of missing persons.
The court asked about accused Ali Riaz. Riaz is out of country because he is facing life threats, the defence counsel told the court.
The counsel for accused Riaz and Zain Malik filed an application seeking exemption from personal appearance before the court, which the court approved.
Later, the NAB officials produced Abdul Ghani Majeed before Accountability Court-I Judge Muhammad Bashir and sought his physical remand for 14 days.
Majeed has been accused of setting up a fake company 'Partlen' in the name of his front man Abdul Ghafoor.
The defence counsel while objecting to NAB's request said that his client has nothing to do with Partlen. His client is seriously ill and the NAB officials have shifted him from intense care unit (ICU) of hospital to Islamabad, he said.
The court after arguments of both prosecution and defence counsels reserved its judgement for some time. Later while announcing its judgement the court remanded Majeed into NAB's custody for nine days and asked BAN to produce him before it on July 5.
Meanwhile, the court hearing Thatta water supply scheme reference issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Minahal Majeed for her continuous absence.
The IO while submitting a report regarding Minahal Majeed before the court said that she is out of the country. "I will try my best to produce her on the next hearing of the case to be held on July 4," the IO further said.
The court ordered NAB to arrest Minahal and produce her before the court.
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