A national accountability court on Tuesday indicted former Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf for making illegal recruitments in Gujranwala Electric Supply Company (Gepco). Raja Pervez Ashraf, however, denied the charges, and decided to plead not guilty. NAB Court Judge Syed Najamul Hassan also framed charges against six other accused in the same case who denied the charges.
The judge ordered the prosecution to produce three main witnesses including General Manager of the company and adjourned further hearing until October 07. During the proceedings, the counsel FOR Raja Pervez said they were provided with dim copies of the reference, therefore, they could not examine them.
The judge however remarked that the case proceedings could not be stopped owing to small issues. The judge asked the counsel that if there was no evidence against them then why the dates were being taken for the last six months. The NAB's law officer informed the court that the copies of original records were provided to the suspect one month ago in the light of court's orders and pleaded the court to frame the charges.
The court however directed the NAB to provide clear copies of the reference to the suspect. After it, the court indicted Raja Pervez Ashraf and six other suspects. Raja Pervez Ashraf along with others is facing charges of corruption and illegal appointments in Gujranwala Electric Supply Company (Gepco). He had also been accused of awarding contract of 62MW Rental Power Projects (RPP), Gujranwala, and Ogra scam. He was also accused of receiving kickbacks and commission in RPP deals when he was federal minister for water and power in 2008.
Later, talking to reporters, Raja Pervez said the NAB had been applying double standard. "The names of Sharif family either should be put on the ECL or our names should be removed," said Ashraf. "The arrests of the Sharifs are not likely because of the double standard of NAB." Answering a question about the PPP's defeat in by-election of NA-120, he admitted that the PPP's position in Punjab is quite weak.