IHC sets aside earlier judgement in Axact fake degree scandal

ISLAMABAD: A bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday set aside an earlier judgement by suspended sessions judge Pervaizul Qadir Memon which led to the acquittal of Axact CEO Shoaib Shaikh and others in the fake degree case.

Charges in the case included alleged fraud, extortion and money laundering through selling fake degrees. The IHC division bench comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb ordered a sessions judge in Islamabad to reconduct hearing arguments from both sides.

Justice Minallah read the short order and the division bench has also ordered the accused to submit fresh surety bonds in the case. Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Raja Khalid Mehmood had filed an application to revoke the decision.

In February, the IHC removed the judge from service for taking a Rs5 million bribe to acquit Shaikh and others in the case.

The registrar of the IHC had issued a notification removing Memon from service.

“The Chief Justice, as authority, on taking into consideration the record and personal hearing afforded to him and having found the accused officer guilty of the…charges, hereby order that major penalty of removal from service be imposed upon Pervaizul Qadir Memon, ADSJ [under suspension], with immediate effect,” the IHC registrar’s notification read.

The IHC’s show-cause notice issued to the judge had read that the he “committed an act of corruption by receiving illegal gratification to the tune of Rs5 million for the acquittal of accused [Shoaib Ahmed Sheikh] through judgment dated 31.10.2016.”

Source: Express Tribune