ISLAMABAD: The main character of the 2010 Haj corruption scandal secured bail from the Supreme Court on Monday.

Rao Shakeel Ahmed, a former director general Haj operations who had been behind bars for the past four years, is required to furnish a surety bond of Rs10 million and surrender his passport to the court’s registrar.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali that had taken up Mr Ahmed’s bail application imposed a travel ban on him and directed him to appear before the trial court in person on every hearing.

The apex court had taken suo motu notice of the matter in December 2010 on a number of complaints and a letter sent to it by a Saudi prince alleging corruption and embezzlement in Haj arrangements by officials responsible for hiring accommodation for pilgrims. Pakistani pilgrims had faced serious accommodation problems and were charged extra by tour operators.

Rao Shakeel barred from travelling abroad and directed to appear before the court in person on every hearing

Rao Shakeel is facing allegations of embezzling over Rs180m and appointing Ahmed Faiz, the principal accused in the scam, for holding negotiation with the Saudi authorities for accommodations.

The Saudi administration had issued a business visa to Mr Faiz.

At the last hearing on July 9, the Supreme Court was informed that Mr Faiz, who had been living in Saudi Arabia as an illegal immigrant and constantly changing his address, was apprehended by the Saudi authorities on July 7.

The arrest was made possible only after the Foreign Office had issued a démarche to the Saudi Embassy for the delay.

On Monday, the court ordered that Rao Shakeel would not go abroad without its permission and that the bail would stand cancelled if he failed to appear before the trial court.

Rights activist Asma Jehangir, representing Rao Shakeel, argued that her client had been in jail for four years and blamed the National Accountability Bureau for slow trial of the accused. She also alleged that her client was subjected to media trial.

Public prosecutor Hassan Chaudhry claimed that Rao Shakeel had enjoyed perks and privileges and said that although no case had been registered against him in Lahore, he allegedly used his influence to remain there in prison. The accused was being tried in a friendly manner, he added.

He said Rao Shakeel had allegedly deprived a large number of people of their right to perform Haj, adding that the prosecution had to produce before the trial court four witnesses, but he did not appear before the trial court and always sought adjournments.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2014