ISLAMABAD: An accountability court in Islamabad indicted on Friday former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and nine others in a case relating to the rental power project scam. The court, however, cleared businessmen Iqbal Z. Ahmed and M.N. Baig.

Judge Mohammad Bashir read out charges against Mr Ashraf and other accused who pleaded not guilty and said they intended to challenge the allegations.

According to the prosecution, Mr Ashraf in his capacity as water and power minister (from March 2008 to February 2011) misused his authority and awarded the project to some parties in violation of procurement rules.

Chaudhry Riaz, additional deputy prosecutor general of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), informed the court that the bureau had cleared Iqbal Ahmed and M.N. Baig because there was nothing on record against them. He requested the court to proceed against the former prime minister and others and indict them in accordance with the law.

Mr Ashraf is accused of receiving kickbacks from nine rental power firms and awarded contracts to set up their plants in 2008 to help overcome the electricity crisis.

NAB alleged that Mr Ashraf had misused his authority by obtaining approval from the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) and the cabinet in violation of PPRA rules, wilful failure to exercise authority to prevent the grant, or rendition of any undue benefit or favour and issuance of illegal policy for an increase in down payment from seven to 14 per cent to rental power companies.

According to NAB,

Ashraf authorised submission of a summary to the ECC on April 13, 2009. The summary contained misleading facts and misrepresentations, stating that terms and conditions of the bidding envisaging 7pc advance could not be met because of financing difficulties and recommended that it should be raised to 14pc. It was approved and authorised for submission to the ECC on August 17, 2009.

NAB had field a preliminary reference in the Naudero-II power plant case on May 27, 2012, but Mr Ashraf’s name was not included in it because he was prime minister at that time. Other accused in the reference are: former water and power secretary Shahid Rafi, former additional secretary Sheikh Zarrar Aslam, former managing director of the Pakistan Electric Power Company Tahir Basharat Cheema and former Pepco directors Malik Mohammad Razi Abbas and Wazir Ali Bhayo and Tariq Nazir, Abdul Malik Memon and Rasool Khan Mehsud.

Their names have also been placed on the exit control list.