05 February 2005	Saturday	25 Zilhaj 1425

KARACHI, Feb 4: The Sindh High Court on Friday issued notice to Deputy Prosecutor General NAB for Feb 9 on application seeking suspension of sentence of former Olympian and national hockey team captain in corruption and embezzlement case.

Ex-hockey team goalkeeper captain Mansoor Ahmed prayed court to suspend the sentence and enlarge him on bail until his appeal pending in High Court was decided. Mansoor Ahmad, also ex-senior custom preventive officer, was prosecuted on charge of removing 1087 kilograms silver from a custom warehouse.

Accountability Court sentenced him seven years' rigorous jail term with a fine of two million rupees on June 25, 2002 on finding him guilty in corruption case. Relying on superior court verdicts, the petitioner's counsel Ismat Mehdi argued that the convict was entitled for release on bail.

She said that the appellant was already undergone substantial sentence in view of benefit available to him under Section 382 of the CrPC as well as his earned remission. It was mentioned that the appellant had been in custody since Sept 11, 2001.

SHC's division bench comprising Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Justice Mujeebullah Siddiqui after preliminary hearing of the application issued notice to the NAB deputy prosecutor.

BAIL PLEA: A division bench comprising Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain of the SHC on Friday heard bail plea of Dr Abdul Qudus Abid, a former chief consultant of Shah Latif University, Khairpur, and an accused in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference. -PPI/APP