Sharjeel Memon gets bail in corruption case

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court Tuesday granted Sindh’s former information minister Sharjeel Memon bail in Rs5.76 billion corruption case and ordered placing his name on the ECL, Geo News reported.

The court had reserved its verdict in the previous hearing in a bail plea filed by Memon. During the hearing, the court ordered Memon to submit Rs5 million as surety bond and ordered that his name be placed on the no-fly list. In October 2017, the NAB had apprehended Memon after the SHC rejected his bail.

Memon along with 12 others is accused of corruption worth Rs5.76 billion in the award of advertisements of the Sindh government’s awareness campaigns in the electronic media.

“The accused persons have been alleged for awarding contracts to favour certain advertising agencies and to their favourite persons, in violation of relevant laws and against exorbitant rates,” according to the NAB. Memon, who returned to Pakistan in March 2017 after ending his near two-year long self-imposed exile, was arrested on his arrival by the NAB but later he obtained bail.

The other accused in the case include bureaucrats, officials of the information department and members of private advertising agencies. Memon claims the charges against him are politically-motivated.