PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday denied bail to former provincial police officer Malik Naveed Khan in a high-profile weapon procurement corruption case.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Mohammad Younas Taheem dismissed the bail plea of Malik Naveed, who is accused of receiving kickbacks from a private contractor.

The bench had reserved its order on the petition on March 19 after completion of arguments by both parties.

The order was pronounced by a bench headed by Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel.

In the case, the NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alleged that over Rs7 billion was released by the provincial government for procurement of weapons, vehicles and equipment for countering the unabated law and order situation in the province.

Malik Naveed charged with receiving kickbacks from private contractor

The bureau alleged that the suspects, including the petitioner, received Rs2.03 billion kickbacks while awarding huge contracts to contractor Arshad Majeed, who later turned approver.

The suspects in the case included Malik Naveed, former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti’s brother Ghazan Khan, budget officer of the police Jawed Khan and Ghazan’s brother–in-law Raza Ali.

Few days ago, Raza Ali was freed on bail on the orders of the high court after he made a plea bargain agreement with the NAB.

The petitioner’s lawyer had argued that his client was arrested on Nov 20, 2013, and that he remained in NAB custody for 55 days.

He also said the bail petition of his client was rejected first by the high court in April last year and then by the Supreme Court in September.

The lawyer pointed out that he has filed the petition on fresh grounds as his client had been in detention since Nov 2013 without any noteworthy progress in the case.

He said the NAB had filed a reference against the petitioner and other suspects in March last year but the petitioner had so far not been indicted.

The lawyer said there was an inter-departmental committee for the procurement of weapons but member of the said committee had not been arrested.

He said his client suffered from multiple diseases and that a medical board confirmed his illness and recommended his treatment at the Aga Khan Hospital in Karachi.

NAB deputy prosecutor general Jamil Khan said his organisation was not responsible for delay in trial and that certain applications were pending with the high court.

He said the petitioner was a central character of the scam and therefore, he did not deserve to be set free on bail.

The DPG said the petitioner was responsible for procurement of substandard bullet proof jackets.

He claimed the petitioner didn’t suffer from any serious illness and therefore, he shouldn’t be released on bail.

Contractor Arshad Majeed had claimed in his statement recorded before a judicial magistrate in 2013 that he paid Rs360 million to the petitioner in three installments and purchased nine air-conditioning units for his private house.

Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2015

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