ISLAMABAD, Oct 12: The defence on Friday pointed out discrepancies in the Islamabad Electric Supply Company reference and argued that the persons involved in the case had been made prosecution witnesses instead of being prosecuted.

Babar Awan advocate, the counsel for the four co-accused quoting different rules from the Wapda Act, contended that the dishonest lot, who were allegedly involved in the corruption on the basis of which the case had been initiated, managed to involve the respondents as accused.

He also referred to about 30 documentary evidences and stated that those were initially attached with the reference but later withheld to the detriment of the accused persons.

Referring to Article 129 from Qanoon-i-Shahadat (law of evidence), he emphasized that if some party deliberately withhold some documents from the court, inferences could be drawn against that party.

The court, however, adjourned the proceedings for Monday to record further defence evidence.

The counsel also maintained that the investigating officer (IO) had allegedly failed to recover the stolen items meant for the electrification of the village. The items include transformers, high tension wires and poles.

Earlier the court had completed the IO’s cross-examination.

The main accused, Amjad Rashid, the line superintendent, Rawalpindi, is facing the corruption charges with the co-accused, Gujranwala Electric Supply Company (Gepco) executive engineer (XEN), Mohammad Khalid Khan; Rawalpindi Iesco sub-divisional officer, Humayun Khan; regional engineer, Rawalpindi, Farrukh Sayyar; Gujarkhan Iesco store managers, Ghulam Farooq and Dildar Hussain; and Wapda chief engineer Salahuddin Rafai.

They were booked on the complaint of the Iesco chief Brig Waseem Zafar.

According to the complainant the accused with the collusion of other Wapda officials, fraudulently caused a loss of Rs9.1 million to the organization by misappropriating the funds meant for the electrification of some villages.