An accountability court on Monday acquitted former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf in a reference of making illegal appointments in Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco) four years after the National Accountable Bureau (NAB) had filed a reference against him and others in 2016.
The court also acquitted seven co-suspects including former secretary for water & power Shahid Rafi, former managing director of Pakistan Electric Power Company Tahir Basharat Cheema, and former directors of Gepco's board of governors Saleem Arif, Malik Muhammad Razi Abbas and Wazir Ali, former chief executive officer of Gepco Ibrahim Majoka and its director human resource Hashmat Ali Kazmi.
The NAB accused Raja Pervez of making illegal appointments in the Gepco during his stint as federal minister for water and power. It alleged that the former premier misused his powers and appointed 437 people in the company from his electoral constituency in violation of rules.
Advocate Iftikhar Shahid representing Raja Pervez Ashraf argued that the prosecution made a table story and failed to present even a single evidence to establish its charge. He said none of the prosecution witness exclusively testified against the former premier.
The investigating officer (IO) during cross-examination admitted that none of the suspects had gained any monitory benefit out of the appointments.
He further argued that after recent amendments in the National Accountability Ordinance 1999 the alleged misuse of authority was no more an offence unless financial corruption was established.
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