KARACHI: An accountability court on Saturday issued a no-objection certificate for execution of an arrest warrant issued by the chairman of the National Accountability Bureau for former provincial minister Sharjeel Memon, already in jail, in a new case pertaining to his assets.

The former Pakistan Peoples Party minister along with a former information secretary and others is facing a trial in a reference pertaining to Rs5 billion corruption in award of advertisements of the Sindh government’s awareness campaigns in electronic media between 2013 and 2015.

The anti-graft watchdog on Friday approached the accountability court-I, which is conducting trial in the case, pleading to issue an NOC for execution of an arrest warrant of Sharjeel Memon inside Karachi’s central prison and to seek his custody for investigation in a new case.

On Saturday, the link judge, Dr Sher Bano Karim, heard at length arguments from the NAB prosecutor and defence counsel on the application filed by the investigation officer (IO).

The judge ruled that the court had no objection to arrest of the accused by the IO inside the prison, if he was required in an investigation authorised by the DG NAB.

In view of the arrest warrant, issued by the NAB chairman on June 13, the court also directed the Karachi central jail’s superintendent to allow the IO to execute the same on the accused inside the prison and dispose of the application.

However, it did not pass any direction with regard to handing over Memon’s custody to the IO for his production before the court for his physical remand in NAB custody.

Earlier, IO Umer Memon informed that the NAB chairman authorised an inquiry against Mr Memon on Dec 22, 2018 on allegations of corruption.

He said that during an inquiry the accused was found involved in committing offences punishable under Sections 9(a) of the NAO, 1999 and subsequently the NAB chief issued a warrant for his arrest.

NAB special prosecutor Shahbaz Sahotra said that on June 21 the IO went to execute the arrest warrant of the former minister inside the prison, but the authorities concerned disallowed him from doing so. Therefore, he pleaded with the court to issue an NOC/permission for execution of the arrest warrant.

A direction was also sought for the prison superintendent to hand over Memon’s custody to the IO.

The court was told that NAB last month arrested Izhar Hussain, the personal secretary of Sharjeel Memon since 2011, who disclosed to have allegedly abetted the former minister in illegally acquiring residential and commercial properties located in SITE and DHA areas. He also acted as his “frontman” and collected illegal gratification or “monthly” from different departments.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2019