NAB moves SC against PHC for not summoning police officials

PESHAWAR: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the Peshawar High Court (PHC) for upholding the decision of accountability court about the non-summoning of one retired and five serving police officers for indictment in the multi-billion weapons purchase scam in the Police Department.
Deputy Prosecutor General NAB, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Muhammad Jamil Khan said that the NAB KP had filed an appeal against the PHC decision, dismissing the bureau’s writ petition, in which direction was sought for the accountability court to summon the six police officers in the weapons scam.
The police officials, whose names were mentioned by the NAB in the reference filed in the accountability court, but were not summoned to face trial, include former Frontier Constabulary commandant Abdul Majeed Marwat, former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa additional IGP (operations) Abdul Latif Gandapur, DIG at Central Police Office Sajid Ali Khan, former DIG Headquarters Peshawar Mohammad Suleman, former AIG (Establishment) at CPO Kashif Alam and former DIG (Telecommunications) Sadiq Kamal Orakzai. The PHC had dismissed on June 5 the NAB petition and upheld the accountability court’s decision about the non-summoning of the police officers for indictment in a high-profile case of embezzlement of funds in weapons procurement for their department.
It was stated in the appeal before the apex court that all the six police officers were members of the purchase committee and their role in the case was clearly mentioned in the reference filed in the accountability court.
The NAB prosecutor said that it was also pointed out in the appeal before the Supreme Court that it was an illegal act on part of the court not to summon the six police officers in the weapons scam. He added that framing charge against other accused in the scam without the six police officers would be a defective.