LAHORE, June 12: An accountability court on Wednesday convicted former vice-chairman of the defunct Services Co-operative Credit Cooperation Limited (SCCCL) Imtiaz Elahi Johri and his aides in three corruption references by awarding jail term and heavy fines besides issuing orders for convicts’ properties confiscation.

In the first reference, Imtiaz Elahi Johri along with SCCCL directors including Begum Perveen Shah Nawaz, Ejaz Awan and Dr Haroon were handed down 14 years RI and fined Rs250.08 million each for having misappropriated Rs1.5 billion out of SCCCL funds in abuse of their official positions. The court also awarded Rs500 million fine to SCCCL Director Col Iftikhar Awan (retired) for having transferred Rs500 million worth deposits of SCCCL account holders in his own personal account without any legal authority. Another Director Sylvester De Souza was given seven years RI and a fine of Rs2 million for conniving with Iftikhar in the illegal transfer of money.

While pronouncing the verdict in the first reference, the court denied the benefit of Section 382-B CrPC to the convicts under which the total jail term given to any convict can be adjusted against the period he serves in jail before the pronouncement of the judgment subject to the permission of court.

“Keeping in view the conduct of the accused during the trial, the court denies them of section 382-B benefit and orders for the confiscation of their movable and immovable properties forthwith” observed the court. The NAB were directed to file the details of convicts properties with the court as early as possible.

This reference had been initially investigated by the Loan Commission Pakistan after which it was referred to co-operatives secretary who got the accounts of SCCCL audited after which the financial irregularities to the tune of Rs1.5 billion were unearthed. Later this reference was transferred to the accountability court from anti-corruption court last year.

In the second reference, Imtiaz Elahi Johri and Col Iftikhar Awan (retired) were convicted to seven years RI and a fine of Rs30.35 million each. As alleged by the prosecution both accused with the active abetment of each other misappropriated Rs30.35 million out of sale proceeds of a piece of land owned by SCCCL. As charged further, the sale proceeds were never deposited to the credit of SCCCL while fake entries were made in the books showing such receipt.

In the third and last reference, Johri and Col Iftikhar Awan (retired) were given seven years RI and fined Rs14.08 million each on charges of embezzling Rs14 million sale proceeds of another land owned by SCCCL near Raiwind Road.

The third accused in both references Ejaz Awan had been declared an absconder while another co-accused Inkisar Awan passed away during the proceedings after which criminal proceedings against him were cancelled.