26 October 2004	Tuesday	11 Ramazan 1425

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

ISLAMABAD, Oct 25: The court of appeals in Geneva on Monday rejected the appeals, filed by Pakistan People's Party (PPP) chairperson Benazir Bhutto and her husband Asif Ali Zardari for excluding the government of Pakistan from the criminal proceedings in the SGS case , says a press release issued by the government.

Ms Bhutto and Mr Zardari had claimed before the examining magistrate that the government of Pakistan should be excluded from the proceedings on the alleged ground that it no longer suffered any loss since the government and the Swiss SGS had put an end to a civil dispute through a settlement agreement.

The magistrate in her decision on June 30 this year had rejected their pleas and maintained the status of the government of Pakistan as a damaged party. Ms Bhutto and Mr Zardari had filed the appeals against the said decision before the court of appeals, which was rejected on Monday, the press release said.

It may be recalled that a case of money laundering is under trial in Geneva wherein Ms Bhutto, Mr Zardari and their Swiss agent Jens Schlegelmilch had been alleged to have used offshore companies in order to receive commissions and kickbacks for entering into a contract between the government and the Swiss companies SGS/Cotecna. The three have already been indicted for aggravated money laundering.

According to the press release, the main implications of the Monday's decision of the Geneva Court of Appeals are as follows:

"The Republic of Pakistan is allowed to file a direct claim against Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardari in the Geneva criminal proceedings; and now this claim appears prima facie valid;

"The Republic of Pakistan may continue to exercise all rights of the parties in the Geneva criminal proceeding (which include notably the cross-examination of Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari and Jens Schlegelmilch); and

"Benazir Bhutto will be required to appear at any hearing of the Geneva criminal proceeding to which she could be summoned, in accordance with the law and with an explicit undertaking given by her."

The court of appeals has given 10 days to Ms Bhutto and Mr Zardari to file and appeal against the decision of the court of appeals in the Federal Tribunal.