KARACHI, May 13: An accountability court convicted on Monday a business tycoon in three references of wilful default on bank loans and sentenced him to three terms of rigorous imprisonment, totalling 24 years.

Judge Dr. Qamaruddin Bohra awarded an eight-year RI each to Zakaria Ghani in the three references Nos. 4, 7 and 26 of 2000, involving default on the payment of over Rs1376 million loans.

The reference No. 7 pertained to the default on the payment of Rs124 million loan, secured in the name of Saif Nadeem Kawasaki Motors Ltd.

The judge imposed a fine of Rs4,13,33,417 on the 60-year-old tycoon to the extent of his liability in the reference. He will have to suffer simple imprisonment for two years in case of default on the payment.

Ghani’s father-in-law, Yousuf Dada, was, however, acquitted in this case as the prosecution failed to establish its case against him.

The judge also convicted two brothers of the businessman — Abdul Wahab Ghani and Idrees Ghani — for deliberately avoiding the legal proceedings against them. They were sentenced to a three-year term by the judge, who also ordered that the case against them be kept on dormant.

The reference No. 4/2000 involved default on Rs187 million loan, secured in 19888 in the name of Hyderabad Electronics. The judge fined Zakariya Rs209.044 million to the extent of his liability. He will undergo an additional two-year term of simple imprisonment in case of default on the payment.

Yousuf Dada was acquitted in this case also as the prosecution could not prove its case.

The judge, however, convicted absconding accused in this case — Abdul Wahab Ghani, Idrees Ghani and Abdul Rauf Dewan — for deliberating avoiding the legal course against them. The judge sentenced them to a three-year term, which will start as and when they are arrested.

Both Zakaria Ghani and his father-in-law, Yousuf Dada, were convicted in the third reference (No. 26/2000), which pertained to wilful default on over Rs416.549 million loan, secured from the NBP in the name of Norrie Textile Mills of his group.

The judge sentenced Zakaria Ghani to suffer rigorous imprisonment for eight years and pay a fine of Rs6,73,58,162, which was to the extent of his liability. His father-in-law was, however, given a two-year term and he was fined Rs6,73,58,162.

The judge also ordered that defaulter on the payment of fine would have to undergo an additional two-year term of simple imprisonment.

The judge also disqualified the accused “from being elected, chosen, appointed or nominated as a member or representative of any public body or any statutory or local authority or in service of Pakistan or of any province”.

The judge also ordered that the accused “shall not be allowed to apply for or be granted or allowed any financial facility in the form of any loan or advances or other financial accommodation by any bank or financial institution owned or controlled by the government for a period of 10 years from the date of convictions”.

Four absconding accused in this case — Abdul Wahab Ghani, Idrees Ghani, Rukaya Umer and Hajra Usman — were convicted and sentenced to a three-year term in absentia for avoiding the case proceedings against them.

This was the second occasion when Judge Bohra pronounced three judgments in a day. Earlier, he had announced conviction in three references against former senator Islamuddin Shaikh in a day.

Judge Bohra has so far decided 28 references in a period of 28 months.

ACQUITTED: The district and sessions judge, West, Qaiser Iqbal, acquitted a former provincial minister, K. S. Mujahid Baloch, and three others in a murder case.