KARACHI: An accountability court on Tuesday allowed one week time to the investigating officer of the National Accountability Bureau to file a reference regarding alleged accumulation of assets beyond known sources of income against Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani.

The federal anti-graft watchdog arrested the politician in February in Islamabad to investigate him for allegedly accumulating movable and immovable assets beyond his known sources of income.

On Tuesday, Mr Durrani was produced before the administrative judge of the accountability courts Dr Sher Bano Karim from prison as his remand in judicial custody ended.

At the outset, NAB investigating officer Asif Raza moved an application stating that a reference against the detained suspect had been prepared and the same would be filed in the court soon.

However, he said the documents were being compiled and some time was required to complete the same.

Therefore, he requested for time to enable him to file the same in the court, adding that copies of the reference would also be supplied to the counsel for Mr Durrani.

Allowing the request, the judge granted time and fixed the hearing for May 30. Till then, the court extended physical remand of Mr Durrani in judicial custody.

The federal anti-graft watchdog claimed that three different inquiries were launched against Mr Durrani for allegedly accumulating movable and immovable assets beyond his known sources of income, making 352 illegal appointments, embezzlement of public funds in construction of the MPA Hostel and the new Sindh Assembly building as well as appointment of project directors for these schemes.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2019