ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court, on Thursday, completed cross-examination of a prosecution witness in mega corruption Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) scam against former Ogra chairman Tauqeer Sadiq and ten others. The Accountability Court-I Judge, Muhammad Bashir, heard the case.

The defense counsel conducted cross-examination of the prosecution witness, Aijaz Ahmed Gohar. The other accused in the case included Mir Kamal Farid Bijarani, Jawad Jameel, Abdul Rasheed Lond, Syed Arsalan Iqbal, Yousuf G Ansari, and Mansoor Muzaffar. Former Ogra chief Sadiq has been accused of misuse of powers to inflict Rs 82 billion losses to the national exchequer.

Sadiq is the main accused in the mega Rs 82 billion scam along with three co-accused - Muzaffer Ali, member gas, Mir Kamal Farid, member finance and Jawad Jameel, staff officer to the chairman Ogra.

In the corruption reference, the NAB has alleged that Sadiq gave undue and illegal favors to private companies and individuals causing a loss of Rs 82 billion to the national exchequer. It is further alleged that Sadiq and other co-accused in the case provided undue financial relief to private firms and individuals, and issued licenses for the CNG stations on fake or bogus documents.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021