September 1, 2002	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Saani 22,1423

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QUETTA, Aug 31: Accountability Court Quetta No II awarded six-year rigorous imprisonment to ex-city mayor Mir Magbool Ahmed Leghari on Saturday and fined him Rs3.5 million in two corruption cases.

The court headed by Judge Nadir Khan Durrani also awarded RI to four co-accused, two ex-administrators and two contractors of the Quetta Municiple Corporation (QMC), and fined them.

The Regional Accountability Court had filed two cases in the court pertaining to construction of mutton market and bus terminal in Quetta against them.

The judge of the court had reserved judgement in the both cases after completion of hearing and on Saturday, Mr Durrani announced the judgement.

The accountability court sentenced the ex-mayor three-year rigorous imprisonment and fined him Rs2.5 million in the mutton market case while co-accused contractor Haji Mohammad Anwar Khan was awarded three-year jail with Rs13.5 million fine.

In the terminal reference, Mr Lehri and co-accused Qazi Siraj, Abdul Khaliq Baloch — former Quetta Municiple Corporation administrators — were awarded three-year rigorous imprisonment along with Rs1 million fine each.

The third co-accused, ex-contractor Mohammad Sadiq Baloch, was awarded a three-year jail term with Rs11.5 million fine.

The court also ordered forfeiture of their property as set off against the amount of fine. If they fail in payment of fine, each accused will have to undergo additional one-year jail term.

They were also debarred for 10 years from holding any public office, taking part in the election and obtaining financial benefits or getting loan from any bank or financial institution.

The court had already declared Mir Maqbool Ahmed Lehri as proclaimed offender and awarded him two-year rigorous imprisonment for not appearing before the accountability court, despite issuing him several notices.