ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court hearing multi-billion rupee fake bank account cases on Thursday did not record statement of prosecution witness in Toshakhana reference, after it was informed that the defence counsel was busy in Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) election.
The Accountability Court Judge, Asghar Ali, while hearing Toshakhana case involving former president Asif Ali Zardari, two former prime ministers - Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, and Nawaz Sharif, and others adjourned hearing till November 2, after the associate of Farooq H Naek, Zardari’s counsel requested the court to adjourn the hearing of the case as his lead counsel was busy in the SCBA election.
The NAB had filed the Toshakhana reference against Zardari, and the former prime ministers - Sharif and Gilani, and others, for allegedly acquiring vehicles and gifts from Toshakhana in violation of rules and regulations.
At the start of the hearing, the associate of Zardari’s counsel and counsel of Abdul Ghani Majeed filed separate applications before the court seeking grant of one day exemption to their clients from personal appearance before it, which the court approved.
The associate of Naek further told the court that hearing of another case pertaining to fake accounts was underway in the Accountability Court-II, how can he represent two cases at the same time.
Deputy Prosecutor General National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi, while objecting to the defence counsel’s request said that the trail of the case should be moved forward as there was direction of the Supreme Court (SC) to hear corruption cases on a daily basis.
He said that the lawyers of the accused sometime get busy in the Supreme Court and sometime in the High Court.
Sometime the excuse of strike is used in front of the court, he said.
The NAB deputy prosecutor general and associate of Naek exchanged harsh words with each other during the hearing.
Abassi told the court that the witness has appeared before the court for testifying his statement in spite of his father having a heart attack.
Why the accused persons did not appear before it, he said.
He requested the court to issue arrest warrants of the accused persons.
The judge observed that the date of today’s hearing was fixed by the court as per desire of the defence counsel Farooq Naek, if he did not appear before the court during the next hearing, it will issue arrest warrant of the accused persons.
The court, after hearing arguments of both the parties, adjourned hearing of the case till November 2.
According to the bureau, the evidence collected during the course of inquiry and investigation has established that the accused, Gilani in order to extend illegal benefit to the accused, Zardari and Sharif, illegally allowed the retention of vehicles gifted to them by various foreign states and dignitaries, which at that time belonged to the Central Pool of Cars, Cabinet Division, relaxing the procedure of Toshakhana illegally.
According to the NAB, accused, Zardari and Sharif, had retained the said vehicles against the nominal payment of 15 percent of total value of the vehicles.
The accused, Zardari, made the payment for vehicles and duties of these vehicles through accused Khawaja Anwer Majid and Khawaja Abdul Ghani Majid, from “fake” bank accounts.
The accused, Gilani, former prime minister and minister-in-charge Cabinet Division from 2008-2012 had “illegally” relaxed the procedure for the acceptance and disposal of gifts, issued by the government through the Cabinet Division OM no.9/8/2004 TK dated June 25, 2007.
According to these rules, “gifted vehicles shall not be allowed to be purchased by the recipients and be given to the Central Pool of Cars of the Cabinet Division.”
Meanwhile, Accountability Court-II Judge, Muhammad Azam Khan, while hearing Thatta water supply reference against former president Zardari and others recorded the statement of prosecution witness, Tariq Majeed.
The court summoned two more prosecution witnesses, Zulfiqar Ali and Nadeem Ahmed for recording their statement during the next hearing to be held on November 6.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020