0
KARACHI, Oct 31: An accountability court sentenced on Thursday a former managing director of the state-owned Thatta Cement Company Limited (TCCL) to 14 years in jail for causing a loss of over Rs41 million to the national exchequer.
Judge Dr Qamaruddin Bohra of the accountability court No 1 also fined Syed Riazul Hassan Rizvi more than Rs20 million, who, with a former manager of the TCCL, misappropriated Rs41.197 million in the sale of cement.
The judge convicted co-accused Maqsood Ahmed, former sales manager and manager dispatch, handing down a sentence identical to that given to accused Rizvi, who would have to undergo an additional five years rigorous imprisonment if he failed to pay the fine.
According to the prosecution, represented by special public prosecutor A. Rahman Channa, on October 19, 1998 the State Cement Corporation of Pakistan (SCCP) asked the managing directors of the TCCL, Javedan Cement and Associated Cement Rohri (ACR) to put up proposals for a price revision. The SCCP revised and enhanced the price of cement the same day as no response was given by the TCCL.
The new prices were implemented by the ACR, but Javedan Cement Ltd (JCL) did not carry out the order of price revision. However, the JCL later implemented the new prices. But the TCCL did not implement the revised prices.
The judge, who announced his 29th judgment since he assumed the charge of the presiding officer of the AC-1, also disqualified the two former officials of the TCCL for 10 years from seeking or from being elected, chosen, appointed or nominated a member of any public body or any statutory body or local authority or in service of Pakistan or in any province.
The reference, sent up for trial by the National Accountability Bureau, was investigated by an assistant director of the FIA, Ghulam Farooq.
ORDER RESERVED: An anti-terrorism court reserved its order on an application for the transfer of a bomb blast case against the deputy chief of the Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Aalmi to an ordinary court.
Abdul Wahid Katpar, the defence counsel for Muhammad Hanif, had challenged the jurisdiction of the ATC for the trial of the case.
Judge Feroze Mehmood Bhatti, who had earlier transferred a bomb blast case allegedly involving the chief and deputy chief of the banned outfit to an ordinary court, fixed Saturday for the announcement of judgment after hearing arguments from the defence and the prosecution.
The case pertained to a bomb blast on Jan 1 this year in the parking lot of Marina Club in the police limits of Gizri. Nine people were injured and 11 vehicles were damaged in the incident.
The defence counsel argued that the FIR of the case was registered by the supervisor of a private security company, Bismillah Din, who had stated that the blast was an attempt to affect their business. He contended that the blast was the outcome of some business grudge and it was not aimed at creating terror.
The special prosecutor opposed the shifting of the case from ATC to a sessions court on the grounds that nine people were injured and 11 vehicles were damaged in the blast. Those who were injured or those whose vehicles were damaged had nothing to do with any business grudge and the incident created panic and terror among the people.
Earlier on Oct 24, Judge Bhatti, who is conducting the trial of the Aalmi leaders inside the Central Prison, Karachi, had transferred a bomb blast case against the chief and the deputy chief of the banned Harkatul Mujahideen Al- Aalmi to an ordinary court for trial.
