KARACHI: Wapda official acquitted in corruption reference
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, May 18: An accountability court acquitted on Saturday a former project director of the Left Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD), Wapda, in a corruption reference.
Judge Mohammed Jawaid Alam of the AC-4 acquitted Hassan Zaeem Aftab of all charges as the prosecution could not establish its case against him.
The Wapda official was charged with causing a loss of more than Rs38 million to the national exchequer.
It was alleged that the accused was project director of the LBOD in Mirpurkhas from 1994 to 1996. He allegedly failed to exercise his authority to prevent illegal payments made by the land acquisition officers on the basis of forged or fake documents.
According to the prosecution, the government had provided funds for acquiring land in Sindh for the LBOD project. The minister of state for water and power received a complaint about the misappropriation of funds in the acquisition of land for the project.
The minister asked the secretary ministry of water and power to constitute an inquiry committee to investigate the matter.
A two-member inquiry team conducted the inquiry, recommending a thorough investigation into the matter.
The chairman of the National Accountability Bureau therefore instructed the Federal Investigation Agency to conduct investigation. The FIA submitted its report, and on the basis of that report the reference No 28/2001 was filed against 56 accused.
Except for Fazalullah Siddiqui, the land acquisition officer, all the accused, including Hasan Zaeem Aftab, were shown as absconders.
On March 9, when announcement of judgment in the reference was fixed, accused Hassan Zaeem Aftab appeared in the court after being granted bail by the Sindh High Court, which also ordered the trial court to try the LBOD director separately.
The judge announced judgment in reference No 28/2001 on March 3 and convicted accused Fazalullah Siddiqui and Wastoo, a beneficiary. The court also ordered the release of 16 beneficiaries, who returned the benefits allegedly obtained by them.
ZARDARI CASE: The accountability court, headed by Judge Aziz Memon, put off to May 21 the hearing of a corruption reference against Hakim Ali Zardari, former MNA and father of Asif Ali Zardari.
The case pertained to raising assets and properties, including a house in France, through illegal means.
An official of the United Bank Limited, Mohammed Amin, appeared as a defence witness.
Special public prosecutor Syed Nadeem Husain Shah would cross-examine the defence witness on the next date of hearing.
JAILED: The special anti-narcotics court, headed by Judge Ali Nawaz Pirzada, sentenced a Nigerian drug trafficker to three years’ rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs50,000.
He would have to undergo an additional three months’ RI if he failed to pay the fine.
Oguchukukwu Maduanusi, who had hidden 882 grams of heroin in his stomach, was arrested on Dec 14 last year here at the airport by the Anti-narcotics Force on suspicion of carrying drugs.
He was sent to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where he excreted 62 drug-filled capsules on Dec 21.
The court awarded a lenient sentence to the Nigerian as he is a chronic patient of piles and diabetes.
The same court also sentenced two local drug traffickers in separate cases.
Mohammed Yousuf, arrested on Sept 1 last year by the Gulshan-i-Iqbal police with 120 gram charas, was sentenced to 18 months’ RI with a fine of Rs5,000.
He would have to undergo an additional three months’ RI for default on payment of the fine.
Abdul Khaliq, arrested last year by the Gulzar-i-Hijri police with 2.5kg charas, was sentenced to five years’ rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs50,000. He would have to undergo an additional three months’ RI if he failed to pay the fine.
