Zardari files acquittal pleas in SGS, Cotecna cases

ISLAMABAD: Former president Asif Ali Zardari has filed acquittal applications in the two pending corruption references, SGS and Cotecna, against him.
An Islamabad Accountability Court (ATC) has issued notices to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), seeking their reply till February 25.Zardari has filed the applications, through his counsel Farooq H Naek, stating that there is no sufficient incriminating evidence against him in these cases, so he may be exonerated. Moreover, these cases were formed on political basis.
Previously, it was on December 22, 2014, when the accountability court had dismissed Zardari’s application under Section 265-K of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) for acquittal in SGS and Cotecna cases. The same court, on December 12, 2014, had accepted Zardari’s application under 265-K in two corruption references, namely, Ursus Tractors and import of gold and, later, NAB filed appeals with the IHC against acquittal of Zardari.
Previously on May 28, 2014, the AC Islamabad also acquitted Zardari of the polo ground corruption reference. Zardari, through his counsel Farooq H Naek, had filed applications in the five cases while three were already accepted with two SGS and Cotecna left under trial with the AC pertaining to the award of pre-shipment contracts with allegations that he had received six percent of the total amount as kickbacks.