March 7, 2002	Thursday	Zilhaj 22, 1422

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QUETTA, March 6: The Accountability Court No.II, headed by Special Judge Mohammad Nadir Khan, acquitted Pakistan Telecommuni-cation Corporation Deputy General Manager Mohammad Ismail Magsi and two other officials in a corruption reference on Tuesday.

“The charges against Mr Magsi and two others could not be established in the reference,” the judge said while announcing the judgment.

He ordered that the accused be released if not required in any other case.

However, the court convicted and awarded rigorous imprisonment and fine to three other officials of PTCL, Khuzdar, Noor Ahmed, ex-SDO, Matloob Hussian Qureshi, ex-DET Javaid Akhtar, storekeeper. The corruption charges against them were proved during hearing of the reference filed by the Regional Accountability Bureau.

The court ordered that the assets and properties of all the accused should be forfeited against the fine.

It ordered that in case of non-payment of fine, the accused would undergo further rigorous imprisonment.

The three convicted persons were awarded four years rigorous imprisonment and fine of Rs1.2 million each. In case of non-payment of fine, they would suffer another one year of RI.

The court acquitted, Ismail Magsi, retired Khuzdar DEP Abdul Hafiz Baloch and Supervisor Mohammad Shoaib.

According to the prosecution, all the accused were involved in misappropriation of thousands of kilograms of copper wire in 1993 in Khuzdar region.