Masoom Shah sent to prison on judicial remand

PESHAWAR: An Accountability Court Friday sent Syed Masoom Shah, who served as adviser to former chief minister Ameer Haider Hoti, on judicial remand to the Peshawar Central Prison.
The verdict was announced by Accountability Court Judge Muhammad Ibrahim Khan after hearing argument from both sides. Masoom Shah, facing charges of making illegal assets, was produced in the court after his 10-day physical remand ended. The NAB prosecutor requested further remand of the accused for 14 days. However, the lawyer of Masoom Shah claimed that the reports about transaction of the accused in foreign bank accounts were baseless and requested the bench to reject the plea for further remand.
During hearing, the court was told that Masoom Shah had allegedly made assets worth millions of rupees in Hayatabad, Warsak Road and Zaryab Colony in Peshawar, and at Bahria Town and in Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Karachi. Those assets also include two precious bungalows and vehicles. Moreover, the accused reportedly availed tours of France, UK, Malaysia, the US and Dubai on state expenses.
Also, the NAB said it had recovered 5kg gold from the home of Masoom Shah. The investigation also revealed that the accused had shares in Usman Construction Company, Islamabad and MSN Company, Karachi, a commercial shop in DHA, Karachi and millions of rupees in foreign bank accounts.
The accused has offered plea bargain of Rs220 million to the National Accountability Bureau Chairman Chaudhary Qamar Zaman in a bid to secure his release. According to sources in the NAB, Masoom Shah would not be eligible for any public office for the next 10 years even if his plea bargain is accepted.