KARACHI, Jan 15: An accountability court on Wednesday rejectedthe application for the acquittal of a former general manager of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) in a corruption reference.
Judge Mohammed Jawaid Alam of AC-4, who is also the administrative judge of all ACs in Karachi division, fixed 21st for the hearing of final arguments by the prosecution and defence.
Akhtar Hassan Ansari, the former GM general manager (transmission and distribution), Abdul Rahim Samoo, former chief engineer, Ashfaq Ahmed Baloch, executive engineer, of KESC and two contractors, Sadiq Ali and Sham Lal Lasi, have been accused of causing a loss of Rs24.26 million to the national exchequer.
According to prosecution, a scheme for providing additional power load of three megawatts to Korangi Fisheries Harbour Authority was approved by the board of directors and managing director of the KESC on Sept 2, 1995.
It was alleged that the accused KESC officials, in connivance with the then manager (engineering) of the KFHA, Hameedullah (now deceased) and the accused contractors granted permission on Nov 15, 1995 to the KFHA to carry out the execution of the work through their own contractors without taking into consideration the conditions of the approval.
The KFHA awarded contract to Decent Electronic Services of Sadiq Ali and Sham Lal, who allegedly did not carry out the work properly which resulted in a fault within 20 days of the project’s energization.
One of the accused officials, Ashfaq Ahmed Baloch, was also charged with failing to safeguard the interests of the KESC and supervise the execution of the work. He allegedly allowed the contractors to carry out substandard work and cleared their running bills without verifying quality of the work.
The contractors were charged with carrying out the substandard work and receiving huge amounts against the fake supplies and botched work.
While dismissing the acquittal application, the judge observed in his order: “This application was filed at the stage when the case is fixed for final arguments. Both the sides have led their evidence. At this point, to hear the appeal under section 265-K after keeping the final arguments pending is not rational. The pleas raised in the application can be argued during final arguments.”
Earlier, the defence counsel for Akhtar Ansari sought time from the court for advancing his final arguments. The judge granted his request and fixed Jan 21 for hearing the final arguments in the case.
CONVICTED: The special anti-narcotics court, headed by Judge Ali Nawaz Pirzada, convicted five Nigerians, including a young woman, and two local citizens in drug trafficking cases.
The African convicts, arrested separately at Karachi airport by the Anti-narcotics Force, were found in possession of different quantities of drugs, stuffed in insulated capsules. The capsules were recovered from their rectums.
Two of the Nigerians, Christian Amaniefuna and Mustaha Sacko, were awarded four-year term for carrying 1.349kg heroin (stuffed in 97 capsules) and 1.126kg heroin respectively. The judge also imposed a fine of Rs100,000 each on the convicts and ordered that the defaulter on the payment would have to undergo an additional six-month term.
Richard Osie, who was found carrying 887 grams contraband drug in 71 capsules, was sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for three and half years. He was also fined Rs75,000 and he will have to undergo an additional six-month term in case of default on the payment.
The judge sentenced Fred Kelly to a three-year term for attempting to smuggle 650 grams of heroin. He was fined Rs75,000 and he will have to undergo an additional six-month term in case of default.
The Nigerian woman, Jabe Frida Robina, was sentenced to suffer rigorous imprisonment for two and a half years. The woman, who was carrying 557 grams of heroin in 78 capsules, was also fined Rs50,000. She will have to undergo an additional three-month term in case of default.
The local citizens, Kamran and Abdul Latif, were arrested separately with different quantities of charas. Each of them has been awarded 18-month RI and a fine of Rs50,000. In case of default on payment, they would have to undergo another three-month term.
Kamran was arrested on Sept 19 and Abdul Latif on Oct 2, 2002 by the ANF with 300 and 330 grams of charas respectively.