ATC rejects Musharraf’s plea on Siegel’s statement

RAWALPINDI: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), Rawalpindi, on Monday rejected the plea of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in which he challenged the video link statement of witness Mark Siegel in the Benazir Bhutto murder case.
The ATC Judge, Rai Muhammad Ayub Marth, declared the statement of US-based author Mark Siegel through video link legal and rejected the plea of former president Musharraf.
Siegel, a US-based author and close friend of the late chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), is a key prosecution witness in the case and recorded his statement last month, which accused Musharraf of making a threatening call to Benazir Bhutto while she was in the US.
Musharraf’s new counsel in the case, Farogh Nasim, requested the ATC to summon Siegel to record his statement in person and termed his earlier statement a pack of lies.
Farogh Nasim also argued that the statement had been recorded via video link after seven years, which is contrary to legal guidelines. His statement should be recorded in Pakistan, he pleaded, adding that if the witness was facing life threats, he should be provided security by the state. The statement submitted by the defence stated that Siegel’s testimony be declared null and void as it was recorded via inadmissible means.
But the ATC judge rejected the plea of Musharraf and declared the statement of Siegel through video link legal.Farogh Nasim, while talking to media persons here in the District Courts, Rawalpindi, said that he had strongly opposed Siegel’s statement through video link. He said Seigel should come here to Pakistan if he wanted to record his statement.