NAB shouldn’t treat businessmen like others: SC

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday observed that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) should treat businessmen differently from other suspects. The apex court extended the pre-arrest bail plea of Anees Zakariya, an accused who took refunds on fake invoices.

A three-member SC bench comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar heard the bail plea filed by Anis Zakaria accused of taking refund on fake invoices. The petitioner was sole proprietor of M/s Al-Ubaid Enterprises and he availed himself of illegal sales tax refund on fake invoices which caused huge loss to the exchequer.

During the course of proceedings, Advocate Shahab Sarki, counsel for the accused, said that his client got pay orders amounting Rs25 million. He said that the accused also submitted a plea bargain application before the NAB.

Justice Bandial asked what NAB decided on the plea bargain application. The NAB Additional Prosecutor General replied that the plea bargain application was not in accordance with the law.

The accused wanted to bargain by paying Rs25 million and the actual amount was many times more. The court had stated on the last hearing that the plea bargain application would be filed, he added. He said that the NAB should have decided the case even if it rejected the

application after review. Justice Bandial said that the NAB only wanted to punish the accused. The NAB wanted punishments without evidence and verdicts and it was not right to punish someone like this, he added. He said that the NAB should consider the sensitivity of the matter.

The court gave time to the accused till July 7 to deposit another Rs25 million. The court extended the pre-arrest bail of the accused and maintained that failure to pay would result in termination of the bail order. Later, hearing of the case was adjourned till after summer vacation.