ISLAMABAD: During Wednesday’s hearing of the rental power projects (RPP) implementation case, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said a separate Supreme Court bench would hear the case pertaining to the death of Kamran Faisal, an officer of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) who was investigating the RPP scam, DawnNews reported. “The office is directed to place this case before another bench on January 24 for further proceedings,” the chief justice told the court.

He added that Faisal’s “family members, colleagues, friends and the public at large have shown annoyance and grievances…they are not expecting free, fair and honest investigation because of the involvement of highly influential political and executive authorities of the country in the RPP scam”.

Chief Justice Iftikhar said the court could not overlook Faisal’s death.

Faisal was found dead in his room under mysterious circumstances. He was investigating the scam under ‘pressure’ and had recently requested the Supreme Court to exclude him from the case in which Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf had been nominated as one of the accused.

The chief justice remarked that Faisal's demise was an extremely sad incident, adding that after his death no one could be considered safe in the country.

Chief Justice Iftikhar added that Faisal was found dead on Jan 18 and expressed his dismay saying even a First Information Report (FIR) had not been registered over it.

NAB Prosecutor General K K Agha said the bureau was being accused over the investigator’s death.

Responding to which, the chief justice said those responsible for Faisal's death must be arrested.

The chief justice added that another apex court bench would be constituted to hear the case pertaining to the investigator’s death.

Also during the hearing, NAB's chairman Admiral (retd) Fasih Bokhari retracted his statement over suspending the probe into the RPP scam until an inquiry into Faisal's death was concluded.

Bokhari added that the NAB's investigations into the scam would continue.

Moreover, Agha said everyone wanted to know the truth behind Faisal's death, adding that a transparent inquiry should be held into the matter.

The hearing was later adjourned to Jan 29.

After the hearing was adjourned, it was reported that bench number two has been delegated to hear the case concerning Faisal's death. It comprises of Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain.

This bench is scheduled to hear the case on Thursday.

RPP case, accusations against PM

Last week, the Supreme Court had directed the authorities to arrest Prime Minister Ashraf in the RPP implementation case.

The prime minister has been accused of receiving kickbacks and commission in the case as minister for water and power.

In the case, nine RPP firms were accused of receiving more than Rs22 billion as a mobilisation advance from the government to commission the projects but most of them did not set up their plants and a few of them installed them but with inordinate delay.

In March 2012, the Supreme Court had held the RPP contracts non-transparent and ordered that these be rescinded.