NAB gets custody of ‘fraudster’ who cheated people on internet

The administrative judge of accountability courts on Friday granted the custody of a suspect allegedly involved in defrauding public through social media to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on four-day transit remand.

A NAB officer informed the judge that the arrest warrant of Shamshad Ali Baladi had been issued by the NAB chairman. He added that the anti-graft body had received over 104 complaints against the suspect from across the country.

He requested the judge to grant the suspect’s custody on transit remand so that he could be moved to Islamabad for further legal proceedings. He said the suspect allegedly robbed people of over Rs21 million through various fraudulent schemes which he announced on Facebook and OLX.

The judge approved the NAB request and directed the officer to present the suspect before a relevant court in Islamabad within four days.

Witness cross-examined

An accountability court adjourned the hearing of a graft reference against former Sindh information minister Sharjeel Memon and others till March 25, after a defence lawyer cross-examined a prosecution witness.

Memon, former secretary information Dr Zulfiqar Ali Shalwani and 15 others employees of the information department have been accused of embezzling Rs5.77 billion of public money through fake contracts and bogus expenses.

On Friday, an attorney for Rajput, one of the accused officers, cross-examined a witness produced by NAB.

The lawyer also sought more time to ask questions to the witness. The court granted the request and directed the lawyer to continue cross-examining the witness on the next hearing.