KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking bail for the detained former chairman of the Fishermen’s Coopera­tive Society (FCS) Dr Nisar A. Morai on medical grounds.

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro, however directed the authorities concerned to ensure the petitioner was provided required medical treatment inside the prison.

Morai has been charged with allegedly committing corruption to the tune of Rs343 million in the society along with another former FCS chairman, other officials and private contractors in 2014-15.

Dr Morai had petitioned the SHC through his counsel Rasheed A. Razvi, submitting that his health condition was deteriorating due to ailments, but the required medical and treatment facilities were not available in the hospital inside the prison.

It was further submitted that the co-accused in the graft reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau had also been granted bail and released from prison. Therefore, the court was pleaded to grant post-arrest bail to the petitioner so that he could get proper medical treatment outside prison.

The accountability court-I judge had framed charges against Dr Nisar Ahmed Jan Memon, aka Nisar Morai, former chairman Abdul Saeed Khan, ex-vice chairman Sultan Qamar Siddiqui and 11 other officials and contractors. However, they had pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the case.

The accused have been charged with misusing their authority, embezzlement of funds, illegal appointments and awarding fake contracts during 2014-15, causing a loss of over Rs343m to the national exchequer.

According to the reference, Nisar Morai was appointed FCS director in December 2013. He took over as chairman in January 2014 and remained head of the FCS till June 2015. He was also holding another public office as a medical officer (BS-18) in the health department and had been drawing salary till May 2015.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2018