Sharjeel declared proclaimed offender in Rs6bn graft case

Accountability court revokes former information minister’s protective bail

An accountability court revoked the protective bail of former Sindh information minister Sharjeel Memon and declared him a proclaimed offender in a six-billion-rupee graft case on Saturday.

The court was informed on behalf of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) that Memon could not be arrested despite all efforts and that he had left the country to avoid detention.

Declaring the former minister a proclaimed offender, the court directed the relevant authorities to initiate proceedings against him under Section 87 (proclamation for person absconding) and Section 88 (attachment of property of person absconding) of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The court observed in its order that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader was directed by the Sindh High Court (SHC) to appear before the trial court but he violated the order with his no-show. The co-accused in the case, former information deputy secretary Anneta Baloch, has already been declared a proclaimed offender by the same court.

Last Saturday the accountability court had reissued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Memon. His counsel had opposed the move and submitted an application on behalf of the former minister, and a ruling on the plea was expected soon.

The attorney representing NAB opposed the argument and contended that no ruling was to be announced on the application. He said the court's proceedings were being delayed on the pretext that an order was to be announced by the SHC, and Memon was in fact avoiding appearing before the court. Upon this plea, the court reissued an NBW against the former minister and other absconding accused. A day earlier the high court had adjourned until January 10 the hearing of Memon's plea for further extension of the transitory bail granted to him in corruption references.

The former provincial minister has been in London ever since law enforcement agencies launched a crackdown against corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. He had told the SHC through his counsel that NAB had booked him in a false corruption reference while he was out of the country, and that the bureau had not issued him a call-up notice or provided any information beforehand.

He admitted that NAB had issued him a call-up notice, despite being out of the country, in a reference pertaining to illegal adjustment and consolidation of thousands of acres in Malir.  His counsel told the SHC that he was granted a transitory protective bail until December 26 to surrender before the trial court in an advertisement scam of Rs5 billion, while NAB was probing illegal allotment of government land in Malir.

The counsel said the PPP leader was prepared to return home but could not travel at present because of an ailment, adding that he sought a month's extension in his transitory bail in the two cases so he could safely return to the country and surrender before the trial court.

The court issued a notice to the deputy prosecutor general of NAB and adjourned the hearing of the application until December 30.  The SHC had earlier ordered forfeiture of 50 per cent of surety amount (Rs1.5 million) deposited for Memon’s protective bail “to discourage him and others from misusing the extraordinary relief of protective bail” as his counsel sought extension of his bail for the fourth consecutive time.

The court had extended his protective bail until December 26 but enhanced the surety amount to Rs4 million, observing that surety of the former minister would be automatically forfeited if he failed to surrender before the trial court within the stipulated time. The SHC made it clear that barring exceptional circumstances, no further extension would be allowed. NAB had filed a reference against Memon, information department officials and representatives of advertising agencies for committing corruption of more than Rs5 billion in the awarding of advertisements of the provincial government's awareness campaigns in the electronic media.