Thatta water supply reference: Defence counsel asked to argue on Majeed's acquittal plea

The Accountability Court hearing multi-billion rupees fake bank accounts cases on Wednesday directed defence counsel to argue before it regarding acquittal plea filed by Khawaja Abdul Ghani Majeed, one of the accused in Thatta water supply reference.

The Accountability Court Judge, Azam Khan, while hearing the case regarding award of illegal contract of Thatta water supply to Harish and Co, issued bailable arrest warrants of accused, Ashfaq Laghari for not appearing before the court.

The court directed defence counsel to argue on Majeed's acquittal application on March 4. Former president Asif Ali Zardari, who is also an accused in the case, did not appear before the court due to health reasons.

At the start of the hearing, Zardari's counsel Farooq H Naek submitted an application seeking exemption for his client from personal appearance before the court for the day (Wednesday), which was approved by the court.

The NAB prosecutor, Irfan Bola, submitted copy of a supplementary reference before the court.

The court issued directives to provide copies of the reference to available accused.

The NAB did not nominate Zardari in the interim reference filed in connection with the Thatta water supply scheme but nominated him in the supplementary reference.

In the interim reference, the bureau nominated 13 accused including Ejaz Ahmed Khan, former secretary of the Special Initiative Department of Sindh; Hassan Memon, project director/chairman of the procurement committee for the water supply scheme, Thatta; members of the committee, Ali Akbar Abro, Aijaz Ahmed Memon, Athar Nawaz Durrani, Abdul Haleem Memon, Mohammad Farrukh Khan, Mohammad Ramzan, Mohammad Siddiq Sulemani and Zeeshan Hasan Yousaf, a private contractor with Harish and Co, CEO Omni Group Khawaja Abdul Ghani Majeed and Minahal Majeed.