NAB to file comments in govt advertisements case

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) sought on Monday arguments from the National Accountability Bureau’s special prosecutor on the applications of two co-accused seeking permission to ‘voluntarily return’ money in a Rs5.76 billion government advertisements corruption reference.

The applications were filed by Gulzar Ahmed and Salman Mansoor, employees of private advertisement companies who have been nominated as co-accused with former provincial minister Sharjeel Inam Memon in the NAB reference.

NAB had named Memon, former provincial information secretary Zulfiqar Ali Shalwani, deputy directors – Anita Baloch, Mansoor Ahmed Rajput and Mohammad Yousuf Kaboro – Syed Masood Hashmi of Orient Communication (PVT) Ltd, Ali and Mansoor of Adarts and Inam Aktar of Evernew Concepts as accused in the reference.
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It alleged that 17 accused were involved in corrupt practices while running public awareness campaigns in the electronic media resulting in losses of Rs5.76 billion to the national exchequer.

The court was informed that NAB had received money voluntarily returned by four private advertisement companies nominated in the reference under the provisions of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.

The court was informed that the applicants were also willing to voluntarily return the amount to the anti-graft watchdog but the authorities were not entertaining their pleas in this regard. They pleaded to the court to direct the NAB authorities to accept their applications for the return of the money.

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However, the judges questioned how the applications for the return of money earned by the applicants, allegedly through corrupt practices, could be allowed once the reference was pending in the concerned trial court.

The bench directed the lawyer representing the applicants and NAB special prosecutor to argue on the maintainability of the pleas on the next date of the hearing. The matter was adjourned for two weeks.

Source: The Express Tribune