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PESHAWAR, May 13: An accountability court here on Monday indicted a former chief engineer of communication and works department, Sanaullah Babar and his wife, Nuzhat Shaheen Babar, on charges of possessing assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.
The accused couple pleaded not guilty to the offence and decided to stand trial. The court presided over by Attaullah Khan fixed May 25 for next hearing and summoned five witnesses on that date.
The prosecution has charged the accused of possessing assets to the tune of Rs 77.5 million, which is not in accordance with their known sources of income. Mr Babar was arrested in January this year by the authorities of National Accountability Bureau.
The prosecution has listed his assets as: four bungalows at posh localities of Hayatabad and University Town in Peshawar and Nowshera; nine plots in Hayatabad Peshawar, Defence Housing Authority Karachi, Jinnahabad Abbottabad and Nowshera; purchase of agriculture land under benami ownership; six kanals commercial plot in Peshawar; foreign accounts; and a number of vehicles.
The NAB has claimed that the accused had a modest beginning inheriting about 13 kanals of agricultural property from his parents. It was added that in the due course of time the entire family achieved strong affiliations with politicians of the NWFP.
APPEAL: An accountability appellate bench of Peshawar High Court on Monday admitted for hearing an appeal of a former inspector of police, Mahmud Hussain, challenging his conviction by an accountability court.
The bench comprising Justice Malik Hamid Saeed and Justice Abdur Rauf Lughmani suspended recovery of fine of Rs 13.60 million imposed on the appellant by the trial court.
The bench also admitted for hearing a writ petition filed by father, mother and sister of the appellant, stating that the trial court had also ordered confiscation of their properties, which was illegal and against the law.
The appellant was convicted on March 20 and sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 13.60 million.
Mr Hussain was previously convicted by an accountability court on Nov 6, 2000, but his conviction was set aside and the case was sent back to the trial court by the high court as certain legal requirements were not fulfilled by the trial court. At that time he was sentenced to seven years rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 15 million.
