HYDERABAD, May 23: A division bench of the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit, on Thursday suspended the sentence of the then sub-divisional education officer (male), Sehwan, in a NAB reference case till May 29 and granted bail to him in a sum of Rs1 million.

The court also issued notice to the deputy prosecutor-general of NAB for May 29.

Abdul Qadir Sahar was represented in the appeal under section 32, NAB Ordinance 1999, by Advocate Mian Khan Malik.

The appellant was sentenced to a three-year imprisonment in reference No3/2001 by the Accountability Court, Hyderabad, on December 18, 2002 in crime No11/2002 charge sheeted by the circle officer, Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), Dadu.

The case was lodged against 15 accused, including the present appellant, for misappropriating a huge amount from the government treasury through issuance of fake bills and drawing government provident fund.

The appellant was alleged to have embezzled Rs214,391 between January 1997 and June 1999.

The Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, had granted interim bail before arrest to the appellant.

The case against him was first charge sheeted before the special judge, Anti-Corruption (Provincial), and then it was transferred to the Accountability Court, Hyderabad.

The appellant was sentenced in absentia.

The appellant claimed that he was admitted in a hospital in Saudi Arabia when he was sentenced.

The appellant’s counsel argued that no substantial material record had been collected by the ACE and the allegations in the FIR were baseless.

He said that the Accountability Court ignored the irrefutable evidence and the appellant was convicted in absentia; therefore, he could not file the appeal on time.

He termed the transfer of the case against the appellant to the Accountability Court as against the principles of natural justice.

The trial court had also ordered the attachment of movable and immovable property of the accused.

The court suspended the sentence till May 29 with the directives that the appellant shall appear before the Accountability Court within three days, failing which the order of the high court shall stand recalled.