KARACHI, Nov 8: The accountability court No 4, headed by Judge Mohammed Jawaid Alam, ordered on Thursday the release of an accused in a corruption reference after he surrendered the money he had acquired through corrupt and illegal means.

Accused Jamal, son of Mir Mohammed, was absconding in the reference No 29/ 2001, which pertained to the acquisition of land at an exorbitant price for the Left Bank Outfall Drain project in 1994 and 1995.

The accused surrendered before the court and offered to return Rs266,994. The court accepted his bargain plea and ordered his release.

The prime accused in this reference, Alam Arian, the then land acquisition officer of the LBOD, had already been released after the payment of Rs1.6 million.

It was alleged that a heavy loss to the national exchequer had been caused in the acquisition of land for the project as the land was acquired at an inflated price.

CONVICTED: The anti-terrorism court No 2, headed by Judge Abdul Hamid Abro, convicted three workers of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement, in absentia, of kidnapping of an official of the Karachi Development Authority.