SHC reserves order on Sharjeel’s bail plea

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Thursday reserved order on a bail application filed by former information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon in Rs.5.78 billion corruption reference.

Former information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, information department officials and others were booked by the NAB in corruption reference along with information department officials and advertising companies’ representatives for committing corruption in the award of advertisements of provincial government’s awareness campaigns in electronic media involving over Rs.5.78 billion. Memon’s counsel sought bail of the petitioner on medical grounds and delay in pending of trial. He submitted that his client is incarcerated since October 2017 and only three witnesses were examined by the trial court out of 50 prosecution witnesses. He requested the court to grant the petitioner bail. The NAB prosecutor opposed bail application and submitted that trial is pending before the accountability court and proceedings are being conducted on daily basis. He submitted that 17 accused were nominated in the reference including the petitioner, who misused his authority. The court after hearing the arguments of the counsel reserved the order. The court had earlier dismissed protective bail petitions of Sharjeel Inam Memon and 13 others, the court observed that current case is more of a case of a joint criminal enterprise whereby every accused played their role to achieve a criminal object. They all were aware that the objective could not have been achieved without the active participation of all those involved, the court added.

The court had also dismissed the bail application of Sharjeel Memon in May last year on medical grounds following opinion of private hospital’s medical board that suggested that the condition of PPP leader was not life threatening and is not likely to cause disability. The court however observed that Sharjeel Memon may be treated in a private hospital of his choice for required physiotherapy and hydrotherapy at his own expense and then returned to jail after each treatment.