ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court on Tuesday recorded the statement of a prosecution witness in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) case against former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, and seven others.
The Accountability Court-II judge, Muhammad Azam Khan, while hearing the case recorded the statement of the prosecution witness, Muhammad Ali, procurement manager Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL). The witness while recording his statement produced different documents before the court.
The court, after recording Ali’s statement summoned another witness, Nasir Bashir, chief executive officer (CEO) of a private company and adjourned the hearing of the case till May 17.
Abbasi’s council Barrister Zafarullah Khan will conduct cross-examination of Bashir during the next hearing.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on December 4, 2019, filed the LNG case before the Accountability Court. Those who are nominated in the reference for allegedly misusing their authority include Abbasi, Ismail, ex-MD PSO Sheikh Imranul Haque, Agha Jan Akhtar, former chairman PQA Saeed Ahmed Khan, former chairman OGRA Aamir Naseem, former member oil OGRA Uzma Adil Khan, chairperson OGRA, Shahid M Islam, former MD PSO, and Abdul Samad Dawood.
The bureau on August 6, 2020 filed a supplementary reference against former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and others, in connection with the LNG case. The bureau has nominated Abbasi, Abdul Khaqan Abbasi son of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former finance minister, Miftah Ismail, ex-managing director (MD) Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Sheikh Imranul Haque, Agha Jan Akhtar, former chairman Port Qasim Authority (PQA), and Saeed Ahmed Khan, former chairman Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), in the supplementary reference.
The other accused include, Aamir Naseem, former member oil OGRA, Uzma Adil Khan, chairperson OGRA, Shahid M Islam, former MD PSO, and Abdul Samad Dawood Director Engro Corporation Limited, Hussain Dawood Chairman Engro Corporation Limited, M/s QED Consultant UK through its MD Phillip Nutman, Maverick Advisory through its CEO Sana Sadiq, Muhammad Amin MD Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL), and Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022