ISLAMABAD: The Islam­abad High Court on Wednes­day granted bail to Omni Group director Abdul Ghani Majeed in five cases initiated against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

An IHC division bench comprising Justice Minagul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Fiaz Ahmed Anjum Jandran granted him bail against surety bonds of Rs100 million in cases relating to Park Lane, Thatta water supply, Roshan Sindh Progra­mme, alleged embezzlement in sugarcane subsidy and allotment of amenity plots. Ghani Majeed had sought the bail on medical grounds.

The same bench had on Feb 13 granted him post-arrest bail in a mega money laundering case. The Omni Group director and other members of his family, including Anwer Majeed, were initially nominated in the money laundering case.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) took Anwer Majeed into custody on Aug 15, 2018 from the Supreme Court premises where he and his family members appeared before a three-judge bench, headed by then chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar, in a suo motu case pertaining to alleged money laundering of Rs35 billion through fake bank accounts.

Subsequently, the names of his four family members besides his own were placed on the Exit Control List on the apex court order.

Akram Durrani’s bail extended

An IHC division bench, headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah, extended the pre-arrest interim bail of Akram Khan Durrani, a senior leader of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, till March 17.

NAB additional prosecutor general Jahanzeb Khan Bharwana earlier pointed out that besides making allegedly illegal appointments, former minister for housing and works Akram Durrani was also accused of allotting out-of-turn the government accommodation to officers of the subordinate judiciary of Islamabad.

He sought time from the court to submit a report in this regard.

Subsequently, the court adjourned the matter till March 17.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2020