PESHAWAR, May 13: An accountability court here on Friday convicted former deputy general manager of the Pakistan Steel Mills Mian Hissamuddin and sentenced him to five years rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs53.96 million. The court presided over by Said Maroof Khan also ordered confiscation of the Pak Ghee and Oil Mills (Malakand) owned by the convict’s family, a bungalow in Islamabad in the name of his wife and a house in the name of his sons in Thana village, Malakand Agency.

The court directed him to pay the fine within two months, failing which it shall be recovered as arrears of land revenue.

Hissamuddin was charged with possessing properties disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The court observed that the prosecution had proved its case against the accused and established that the properties owned by Hissamuddin were not proportionate to his income.

The convict, hailing from Malakand, was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau on Jan 12, 2001. He was charged with possessing assets worth Rs190 million. He was released on bail by the high court.

After his conviction, he was again taken into custody.

The accountability court examined 39 prosecution and 40 defence witnesses during the trial. Advocate Riaz Ahmad Khan appeared for the NAB and contended that the evidence on record had proved the involvement of the accused in the commission of the offence.

Talking to journalists, Hissamuddin claimed that he was innocent and added that he would soon file an appeal before the high court.