KARACHI, Nov 6: An appellate division bench of the Sindh High Court dismissed on Wednesday two appeals filed by former PPP MNA Abdul Aziz Memon and his wife Farida Memon against their conviction by an accountability court.

The bench, comprising Justice Mohammed Roshan Essani and Justice Mujibullah Siddiqui, had reserved its judgment earlier in August after hearing Advocates Khalid Anwer and S. M. Zafar, counsel for the appellants. The prosecution agency, the National Accountability Bureau, was represented by its deputy prosecutor-general.

The appellants were convicted by the Karachi accountability court IV in June 2002 and were each sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment, Rs one million in fine, and forfeiture of their plots and houses in Hawkesbay scheme, Defence and KDA Scheme No 1.

They were accused of amassing wealth through illegal means disproportionate to their pecuniary resources. According to an FIA inquiry, Mr Memon had illegal assets worth about Rs1.34 million and Farida worth about Rs12.76 million. Mr Memon started off as a typist in United Bank and was elected MNA in 1993.