Supreme Court suspends acquittal of retired brigadier

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday suspended the acquittal of a retired brigadier allegedly involved in an embezzlement of purchasing coal for the Nizampur Cement Factory, Nowshera.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Sardar Tariq Masood admitted for regular hearing the appeal filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) seeking suspension of orders of a high court, acquitting Brigadier (retd) Hamid Mahmood. The court issued notices to Mahmood after suspending the order of the high court.

During the hearing, the NAB counsel told the court that coal was purchased for the Nizampur Cement plant from Singapore but the accused delivered $24 lakh to a non-concerned person. Later, after the delivery of $24 lakh, $1,15,000 were transferred to the account of Mahmood, the NAB counsel informed the court. He submitted that a NAB court sentenced the accused to 12 years in jail, but the high court acquitted him. The NAB counsel contended that solid evidence was available against the accused and transfer of money to the accused account has also been proved.