ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday said that the return of the former Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) chairman from UAE should be dealt under the deportation rules and should not be linked with extradition laws.
A two-judge bench comprising Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif continued hearing on the case of multi-billion rupee corruption scam of Tauqir Sadiq and his arrest from the UAE.
Azam Khan, an FIA official, explained that Dubai officials are saying that when their country issues someone residence visa then even cancellation of passport does not matter. That's why Dubai authorities are seeking some more documents, he added.
Justice Khawaja said when a passport has been cancelled by the issuing authority then it should be dealt differently.
Sadiq was arrested in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and the NAB, confirming the arrest, had said the suspect would be brought to Pakistan within two days’ time.
During the course of proceeding, Deputy Director National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Waqas Ahmed Khan submitted the progress report of the investigation of Sadiq's arrest.
He apprised the court that 41 bank accounts of the accused and his family and three others with fake names were traced out by the NAB, adding that earlier the amount in the accounts were around Rs 3 billion which was withdrawn on the very next day.
Khan also informed the bench that Rs 0.8 million are being transferred from Pakistan to the UAE every month to Sadiq, adding that some 65000 UAE dirhams were also transferred to him by a person named Imran Ahmad Khan.
The NAB deputy director told the court that a reference has been forwarded to the chairman NAB against 12 accused involved in the process of illegal appointment of Tauqir Sadiq which would be filed after the chairman's approval.
The court directed the Director Legal Azam Khan, Deputy Director NAB Waqas Ahmed Khan and Superintendent of Punjab Police Rana Shahid to submit comprehensive progress report in this regard.
NAB was also directed to submit the criteria for appointing legal advisors such as Shoaib Khan and Ahmed Hayat Luk when it already has the brilliant legal mind of K.K Agha who is worth being the Supreme Court's judge.
Later, the court was adjourned till Feb 7.
SC orders NAB to file corruption references
Last week, the Supreme Court had ordered the NAB to file within a week two corruption references in the case against Sadiq.
One of the references ordered to be filed points a finger at the prime minister who had allegedly approved Sadiq’s appointment as chairman of the Ogra.
The other is against the officials who are accused of obstructing investigations against Sadiq and facilitating his escape from the country. They include Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Pakistan People’s Party’s senior leader Jehangir Badar who is a close relative of Sadiq.
Prime Minister Ashraf was water and power minister and head of the selection committee which had approved Sadiq’s appointment.