KARACHI: National Accountability Court approved exemption petition filed by former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and former secretary petroleum, who were booked in NAB reference for misusing authority for making appointment of ex-MD Pakistan State Oil in violation of rules that caused a loss of Rs138.86 million to national kitty.
On 10 April 2020, Khowaja Naveed Ahmed, senior counsel appeared on behalf of the above mentioned suspects and moved an application in which it was mentioned that “it is most humbly prayed that court may be pleased to condone their absence today as they are resident of Islamabad, they are unable to travel from Islamabad to Karachi due to recent Crona Virus (COVID-19) lock down.
Their absence from court today is unintentional and due to circumstance beyond their control, both the accused have been granted transit bail to by the Islamabad High Court”.
After the hearing, court accepted their application, however court also issued show cause notice to investigation officer for not to provide reference copy to accused persons.
According to the NAB reference, former minister of petroleum was found out that he illegally appointed the managing director and deputy managing director of Pakistan State Oil.
Earlier, the IHC had granted bail to Abbasi against bonds worth Rs10 million. NAB had arrested Abbasi last year for alleged corruption while awarding a multi-billion rupee import contract for LNG in 2013, when he was the minister for petroleum and natural resources.
According to the NAB arrest warrant, Abbasi was accused of commission of the offence of corruption and corrupt practices under section 9 (a) of National Accountability Ordinance, 1999 barely a month after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted him bail in a separate corruption reference related to the award of an LNG contract.
The court, hearing the arguments, subsequently had issued arrest warrants for Abbasi as well as former petroleum secretary Arshad Mirza.
