LHC gives bail to ex-DG Ogra, others in petrol scam

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday granted bail to former

Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) director general Dr Shafiur Rehman, former Ogra member Oil Abdullah Malik, director Oil Marketing Company Nadeem Butt and Research Officer Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division) Imran Ali Abro in a petrol scam that had hit the country in the first half of 2020. The court ordered all the four to submit surety bonds of Rs500,000 each to avail the bail. Justice Safdar Saleem Shahid passed the orders while allowing the bail applications of the accused.

The court had reserved the verdict after hearing arguments of the parties and it was announced on Wednesday. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had arrested the accused over their alleged involvement in the petrol crisis. The FIA Lahore had registered two cases in the light of the probe which was held to find out the causes of shortage of petroleum products. The cases were registered against two oil marketing companies, Ogra and Ministry of Energy officials.

The nominated accused in the FIRs included Uzma Adil Khan, Ogra former chairperson, Noor-ul-Haq, Ogra former member Finance, Abdullah Malik, Ogra former member Oil, Dr Shafi-ur-Rehman Afridi, Imran Ali Abro, (RO of MoEPD, Amir Naseem, Ogra former member Gas, Askar Oil Services directors Sohail Nasim, Shakeel Nasim, M Shahzad Anjum and Nadeem Butt.

The FIA accused them of awarding petroleum marketing licences illegally, allowing illegal petrol import quota. Moreover, the oil marketing companies after getting the marketing licences established several illegal petrol pumps, which caused a loss of billions of rupees to the national kitty.