ISLAMABAD, Aug 13: Pakistan People’s Party Chairperson Benazir Bhutto challenged on Wednesday the verdict of a Swiss magistrate in the SGS case, and filed an appeal against it before the Geneva Police Tribunal.

This was disclosed by party spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar while talking to Dawn here on Wednesday.

Mr Babar said Ms Bhutto, through her lawyers, had opposed the “adverse findings” of Swiss investigating magistrate Daniel Devoud, who had ordered six months suspended sentence to her and Mr Asif Zardari in the SGS case.

On the status of Geneva Police Tribunal, Senator Babar said under the Swiss laws the appeal against the finding of an investigating officer was submitted to the police tribunal, which forwarded it to the attorney-general with its recommendations for further action.

With the filing of the appeal, he added, the verdict of Mr Devoud had automatically quashed. Now, he observed, the attorney-general would decide whether the case could be further tried.

In opposing the findings, Ms Bhutto stuck to her “principled position that the disputed Geneva accounts did not belong to her and that the expensive jewellry piece meant to link her to the account was not hers.”

In her appeal, she also said that she did not influence the award of the contract to a Swiss pre-shipment firm.

Ms Bhutto further said that she had gone unrepresented before the investigating magistrate and was without opportunity to challenge documents provided by her political opponents in Islamabad.

She said the same documents were used before the Lahore High Court that delivered its judgment in April 1999 and that judgment was set aside by the Supreme Court of Pakistan following a dramatic audio-taped evidence demonstrating that she was framed.

Mr Babar said it was yet to be seen whether Ms Bhutto could be tried again on the same charge as it violated the principle of double jeopardy, which was the cornerstone of natural justice.

The PPP senator said for military rulers, the Swiss magisterial inquiry was a glimmer of hope in eliminating their rivals. However, he added, the tables could turn on them in a foreign jurisdiction.

He further said that the PPP chairperson had appointed Monsieur Alex Raymond of the legal firm Keppeler and Associates to appear on her behalf before the tribunal. Senator Farooq Naek visited Geneva and assisted Monsieur Raymond, who is also the president of the Geneva Bar Association, in filing the appeal.