ISLAMABAD: A prosecution witness on Wednesday told the Accountability Court that the circular issued by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), which authorises chief commissioner Inland Revenue (IR) to provide information to the anti-graft body, did not mention income returns and wealth statements of the accused, Abdul Ghani Majid, and others.

The prosecution witness, Imran Farooq, Deputy Commissioner Enforcement and Collection, while testifying before the Accountability Court-II Judge Muhammad Azam Khan in Thatta water supply reference, a case pertaining to fake bank accounts case involving former president Asif Ali Zardari and others, said that it was correct that the circular issued by the FBR on December 28, 2018, which authorised chief commissioner IR to provide information to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) did not mention income returns and wealth statements of the accused, Abdul Ghani Majid, Minahel Majid, Khawaja Nimar Majid, and Noor Majid, which he had produced before the NAB’s investigation officer (IO).

“We are bound to follow the directions contained in the circular issued on December 28, 2018 by the FBR from time to time,” the witness told the court during the previous hearing.

The witness said this, when he was asked by defence counsel Arshad Tabraz during the cross examination, is it correct to suggest that according to Section 191 of the Income Tax Ordinance, he (witness) and my department could not disclose information contained in the documents, which he produced before the investigation officer (IO) of the NAB.

He further said that the circular was a photocopy and was not an original.

Irfan Bhola, Wasim Javed, prosecutors NAB, Arshad Tabraiz, counsel for the accused and witness Imran Mehmood appeared before the court.

The counsel for Zardari, Anwar Majid, Khawaja Anwar Majid and Muhammad Saleem Faisal filed separate applications seeking exemption from attendance for hearing, which the court approved.

The defence counsel, Tabraiz concluded cross examination on witness Imran Mehmood. The court adjourned the case till December 2nd, and Farooq H Naek will conduct cross examination of the witness during the next hearing.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020