Anti-corruption court indicts accused in TDAP scam case

The Federal Anti-Corruption Court (FACC) that heard around 15 corruption cases related to the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) scam indicted Asim Rizwani, Younuz Rizwani, Mirchu Mal Khatri and others, all of whom denied the charges and pleaded not guilty.

The court fixed December 8 to hear the evidence gathered by the prosecution against the accused. The court also issued non-bailable warrants of arrest against an absconding accused, Tariq Iqbal. 

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and former premier, Yousuf Raza Gilani, is also one of the accused in this mega corruption scam and is currently out on bail.

A charge sheet in similar cases mentioned that former TDAP chairman Tariq Iqbalpuri, former director general Javed Anwar, Abdul Karim Dawood Pota and former project manager Mirchu Mal Khatri had recorded their statement in corruption cases.

 

Bail for ex-TDAP chief

The FACC granted bail to former TDAP director general, Abdul Karim Dawood Pota, in seven corruption cases. The court granted bail to Dawood Pota against a surety bond of Rs100,000 in each case.

The former TDAP chief is being tried in several cases related to the multi-billion rupee trade subsidy scam, along with former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani and several other accused.

Charges sheets have been submitted to the court by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in a number of cases against Yousuf Raza Gilani, Abdul Karim Dawood Pota, Adnan Rizwani, Younus Rizwani, Mirza Kareem Baig, Abid Javed Akbar, Tariq Iqbal Puri, Javed Anwar Khan and several others. 

The court has also issued non-bailable warrants of arrest against Mehar Haroon Rasheed, Mian Muhammad Tariq and other absconding accused.

All the accused, according to the prosecution, had formed fake companies for the embezzlement of export development funds. 

Officials have submitted charge-sheets in more than 23 cases against Yousuf Raza Gilani and the other accused.