KARACHI: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has decided to file appeal in the Sindh High Court (SHC) against the order of Special Banking Court Karachi for not granting of plea for physical custody of Abdul Ghani Majeed, an accused of the money-laundering case, in an inquiry of illegal allotment of land, The News has learnt.
Well-placed sources in the Sindh NAB informed The News that a formal request would be made to chairman and prosecutor general of the Bureau to permit filling of appeal in the SHC and after getting permission an appeal would be filed in next week.
Earlier on Friday, the Special Banking Court rejected the plea filed by the NAB seeking the physical custody of Omni Group’s Abdul Ghani Majeed, who is currently in judicial custody in the money laundering case.
Abdul Ghani Majeed’s lawyer Advocate Shahadat Awan cited case laws to argue against the plea of NAB.
Mentioning media reports, Shahadat Awan told the court that the NAB chairman has reportedly signed a summary to transfer the case to a court in Islamabad. Opposing the NAB’s request for Majeed’s physical remand, he referred some precedents also. The court at that time had decided that an accused in judicial remand could not be handed over to any other agency. The NAB had requested for physical custody of Majeed in an inquiry relating to the illegal allotment of Neher-e-Khayam’s land in Clifton. However, while rejecting the NAB’s plea, the judge in his verdict said the banking court does not have the authority to hand over Abdul Ghani Majeed’s custody to NAB.
On the other hand, the SHC two days earlier rejected the plea filed by Abdul Ghani Majeed for anticipatory bail. The court said hearing for the plea for anticipatory bail could not be held as the suspect was already arrested.
Abdul Ghani Majeed’s lawyer said the NAB had sent his client a call-up notice in Nehr Khayam land allotment case. “The NAB wants to arrest him on the basis of other allegations under the pretext of investigation,” he said. The lawyer concluded that the NAB had no right for arrest and investigation from his client.
The NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal on Wednesday issued arrest warrant for Abdul Ghani Majeed. The NAB said that Abdul Ghani Majeed had illegally bought a plot in Nehr Khyam area of Clifton, Karachi.
The anti-graft body said the suspect had inflicted loss upon the national exchequer.
