ISLAMABAD, Jan 2: A letter by former director general of the Intelligence Bureau Dr Shoaib Suddle has changed the complexion of a case relating to withdrawal of huge funds from the bureau’s account.

In the letter which was not made public, he confirmed before the Supreme Court on Wednesday that the government had withdrawn Rs400 million but not for using to topple the Shahbaz Sharif administration in Punjab.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry provided the gist of the letter in the court. “Dr Suddle considers that the purpose of withdrawing the funds to buy the loyalty of politicians in Punjab for changing the provincial government is a far-fetched phenomenon,” observed the chief justice in an order while winding up the hearing.

A three-judge bench comprising the chief justice, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed had taken notice of a report which had appeared in an English daily on March 14, 2012, alleging that Rs270 million had been withdrawn by the PPP government to dislodge the Punjab government in 2008-09.

The report was headlined “Govt withdrew millions from Intelligence Bureau’s accounts”. Asad Kharal, the reporter, said Dr Suddle confirmed that the money had been withdrawn from IB’s secret fund, adding that when he brought the matter to the notice of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani he kept quiet for political reasons.

However, the plot could not succeed because of PML-Q’s insistence to instal its chief minister in Punjab, the reporter claimed.

The sealed envelope of Dr Suddle was sent by the court’s registrar to the bench. It was opened in the court and then resealed to be kept in safe custody on the bench’s orders. The court also went through the replies former directors general Aftab Sultan and Javed Noor had submitted in sealed envelopes and then resealed because both claimed confidentiality.

“The assertions made in the letter by Dr Shoaib Suddle, prima facie, confirm the allegations put forward by petitioner Asad Kharal,” the court noted. It said Dr Suddle had accepted the allegations only to the extent of withdrawal of Rs400 million during 2008-09, and not to the extent of toppling the Punjab government as he considered it a far-fetched phenomenon.

After reading contents of the report, the court decided to ask IB’s former director general Tariq A. Lodhi to appear before it on Jan 8.

Incumbent IB chief Akhtar Hussain Gorchani is required to inform Mr Lodhi about the court’s order.

The court declared the reply submitted by the current IB chief as unsatisfactory and asked him to file a comprehensive reply but to keep in mind that being the incumbent chief of the bureau he had access to relevant records and, therefore, no attempt should be made to conceal any information from the court.

The DG is required to disclose before the court the real purpose of withdrawing the huge amount of money and details of where it was spent even if the allegation that the money had been withdrawn to remove the provincial government was not correct.

“At least the record must have been maintained (by IB) as to whom the amount was distributed,” the court said.

The court, however, assured the IB bosses that the information would be kept secret if the objective and purpose of spending the huge taxpayers’ money was disclosed. The court also warned that it could issue directives to Tariq Lodhi to appear in person and testify on the basis of record the allegations so levelled. The incumbent IB chief would face embarrassment if Tariq Lodhi appeared and confirmed the fact, it said.

The court noted that Mr Lodhi, who held the charge of IB chief for two months, had not denied in his earlier reply withdrawal of the amount except that he did not accept that the purpose was to topple the provincial government.

“We expect full cooperation from the IB chief,” the court said and reminded him that he was a responsible officer and headed one of the most important intelligence organisations of the country.

The court directed Finance Secretary Abdul Wajid Rana to find out the basis on which the sanction was accorded for withdrawal of the amount with details about its transfer. “The communication for such withdrawal must have been kept with the finance department,” the court observed.

Notices were repeated to summon former IB chief Masood Sharif Khattak.