ISLAMABAD, Nov 27: A tussle for the presidency of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) took a new twist on Monday when the returning officer of the SCBA polls was accused of manipulating elections in order to retain control over the association’s Rs100 million funds.

It may be mentioned that an 11-member Supreme Court bench has directed the executive committee of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) to decide in two weeks a pending election appeal to settle the dispute between the two claimants of the SCBA presidency -- Munir A. Malik and Raja Haq Nawaz.

The seven-member executive committee of the PBC is due to resume hearing on Tuesday on Mr Muneer Malik appeal.

On Monday, a new element was added to the controversy over the SCBA elections when Mr Muneer Malik in a rejoinder alleged that the returning officer showed hostility to the PBC when its executive committee served a notice on him asking him to explain why had he transferred Rs100 million from the SCBA account to the account of a trust he had set up and of which he himself was the managing trustee for life.

The appellant also alleged that the returning officer, in collusion with Raja Haq Nawaz had doctored certain documents to alter election results.

Both Malik Qayyum and Raja Nawaz had submitted their replies before the PBC expressing their lack of confidence in the seven-member executive committee.

Mr Muneer alleged that the returning officer was bent upon installing his opponent by employing all possible means in order to retain control over the funds.

The appellant also accused the RO of supporting Raja Nawaz.