KARACHI: Customs Court Judge Syed Faiz Rasool Rashdi has imposed penalty of Rs 500,000 on the guarantor of a suspect, Mohammad Siddique, involved in a gold smuggling case.
According to details, Abid Ali Chishti appeared as guarantor of the suspect for bail. However, the accused disappeared from the scene on which the judge ordered to impose the penalty on the guarantor.
The court directed that the fine amount would be submitted within 30 days and in case of failure, his movable property will be put to sale for recovery of the fine amount of Rs 500,000.
Abid Ali Chishti had taken the surety of for three accused persons namely Mohammad Akhtar, Mohammad Siddique and Arshad Ali in the instant crime before Sindh High Court, subsequently one accused Mohammad Siddique has disappeared after the bail and became fugitive from the law and the bail bond was forfeited by the court on 31st July 1999. The counsel argued that the applicant taken surety on humanitarian grounds and he is the poor person and unable to pay heavy fine.
The court observed that it appears from the record of 31st July 1999 surety was forfeited on non bailable warrant was issued and the case was disposed of on 13th December 2011.
In view of above circumstances, the judge imposed a penalty of Rs 500,000 on the applicant and directed to deposit the fine amount before the court within 30 days and in default movable property of Abid Ali Chishti be attached and put to sale for recovery of the fine.
According to the prosecution, on Nov 2,1994, accused namely Mohammad Siddique, Mohammad Akhtar and Arshad Ali had arrived Islamabad from Abu Dhabi and during checking the officials of the customs authorities recovered over 13,400 tolas foreign gold three bottles of whisky 14870 UAE dirham and etc from their possession.
