Pepco ex-MD handed over to NAB

LAHORE

An accountability court judge Abdul Sattar on Friday handed over former MD Pepco Tahir Basharat Cheema to NAB on 14-day physical remand accused of minting billions through illegal recruitments.

NAB officials produced accused before the court seeking remand on plea to investigate the matter properly as billions were minted in this alleged scam. NAB’s investigation officer Salahuddin contended the court that accused misused his powers by violating recruitment policy and made illegal recruitments in Gujranwala Electric Power Company. Prosecutor NAB Waris Ali Janjua submitted the Lahore High Court had declared 437 recruitments illegal in 2002 while handing in decision over the case relating to illegal recruitments made in October 15, 2009. He contended that after that the inquiry was initiated against the accused person. The accused was declared guilty in inquiry on which the NAB chairman had issued arrest warrants for the accused on May 5. On the contrary, advocate Arshad Azeem Mirza, the counsel for the accused argued that the allegations levelled on his client had nothing to do with reality and they were false and baseless. He contended that permission had been sought from ministry of water and power for recruitments and following the notification the applications were received all over the country of the candidates who applied. He implored that auditor general of Pakistan raised this matter before public accounts committee where his client was cleared. He submitted that former MD had also been appearing before NAB’s inquiry. The counsel for the accused opposed the remand. However, the court after hearing both sides handed over the accused to NAB on 14-day physical remand.  

POETRY