LAHORE, Aug 15: Former chief minister Manzoor Wattoo submitted an application before an accountability court on Thursday for his release in a corruption reference pending for adjudication.

The court issued notice to the NAB on the application for Aug 17.

Wattoo in his application pleaded that he had been acquitted in two NAB references by the Lahore High Court last week and he was still in NAB detention at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology.

He stated he had been implicated as co-accused along with former provincial food minister Tikka Muhammad Iqbal in a corruption reference filed before the accountability court in March 2001.

He claimed he had not been formally arrested by police on the charges levelled in the reference, and he was simply being summoned by the court as a co-accused. He offered to furnish surety bonds with the court as a token of guarantee for not absconding the court proceedings following his release.

In the reference, Tikka along with the former chief minister has been held accused of causing a Rs44.7 million loss to the national exchequer.

According to the prosecution, Tikka in connivance with Wattoo forced the Food Department to purchase 3,000 bales of jute bags worth Rs29.2 million following the expiry of procurement season.

It has been alleged in the reference that the payment of Rs29.2 million resulted in a six-month delay in repayment of loans to banks and the Food Department had to pay an interest of Rs22.2 million.

The investigations further revealed that the jute bags were purchased at an excessive rate of Rs2.50 per bag for which an additional payment of Rs22.50 million had to be made to the mills owner bringing the quantum of total loss to Rs44.7 million.

Tikka has already been allowed by the LHC to leave for the US for medical treatment.