Court accepts Rs3bn corruption reference against Babar Ghauri

An accountability court has accepted a corruption reference of around Rs3 billion against former federal minister of ports and shipping Babar Ghauri and seven others.

The reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) names Ghauri and Javed Haneef, an MQM leader and Sindh MPA, among the eight accused.

It alleges that the Ghauri and Haneef along with others made illegal appointments of 490 people in 2012, causing a huge loss to the national exchequer.

The accountability court accepted the reference on Saturday and ordered the authorities to arrest the accused and produce them in court.

Meanwhile, an accountability court hearing the Rs462 billion corruption reference against former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain and others adjourned the case hearing till September 26.

A witness Muhammad Fahad had already presented around 2,634 papers as a part of his evidence and the court had ordered to supply the photocopies of the same documents to the attorneys for the accused.

The defense attorneys prayed to the court on Saturday to give them some time to study the matter and prepare arguments. The court allowed the plea and fixed September 26 to hear the arguments of the attorneys on the evidence provided by Fahad.

Separately, the judicial magistrate (South) adjourned the hearing in the case of the alleged recovery of alcohol from former provincial minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and others. Memon who is under detention was not produced before the court. However, three co-accused in this case (who are out on bail) were present.

Memon is alleged to have used alcohol while he was under treatment at a private hospital. The case against Memon and others was registered in the Boat Basin police station. At Saturday’s hearing, the investigation officer (IO) prayed to the court to grant him some time to present the charge sheet and the judge adjourned the hearing till September 18.