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KARACHI, April 26: An accountability court reserved on Friday the judgment in a corruption reference against a former chief of Pakistan Steel, Dr Mohammed Usman Farooqui, and five others.
Judge Rahmat Husain Jaferi of the AC-3, who is also the administrative judge of all the ACs in Karachi Division, fixed May 15 for the announcement of judgement after the defence counsel for Usman Farooqui and co-accused Hissamuddin and the special public prosecutor (SPP) concluded their arguments.
The case pertained to the sale of 15,933 metric tons of scrap (end cuts of steel), and the accused were charged with committing an act of criminal misconduct and criminal breach of trust for unlawful gain of Rs230 million.
Mir Raza Ali, former director marketing, Irfanuddin, proprietor of Faran Iron Mart, Yasin Siddiqui, director of Y. S. Private (Ltd), and Qamaruddin, of Ironex Enterprises, are other accused in this reference. They all are on bail. Usman Farooqui and Hissamuddin are in jail.
Iqtidar Ali Hashmi and Rana Shamim appeared for Mr Farooqui and Mr Hissamuddin, respectively.
Barrister Azizullah Shaikh, counsel for Qamaruddin, Ilyas Khan for Irfanuddin and Khurram Nizam for accused Raza Ali had earlier concluded their arguments.
The three contractors informed the court that their plea of bargain had been accepted by the NAB authorities. The court issued notice to the SPP for approval of the NAB chairman.
ACQUITTED: An additional district and sessions court of district Central acquitted a worker of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in a murder case.
The judge acquitted Javed Shahpuri of the charge of murdering Ishwar Lal in 1990 in the police limits of Taimuria as the prosecution could not bring on record incriminating evidence against the accused.
BANK FRAUD CASE: The special banking court, headed by Judge Ikram Husain Jafery, remanded an alleged crook in the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency for interrogation in a Rs20 million fraud case.
Abdul Majid of Ghausia Overseas Trading Company allegedly acquired a loan of Rs20 million from the Juna Market branch of United Bank in 1992 on forged documents of a property, that was already mortgaged with Habib Bank.
The FIA’s commercial banking circle lodged FIR against Abdul Majid on the complaint of Qaiser Saleem, the owner of the property.
The judge ordered the FIA to produce the accused in the court on May 2.
