ISLAMABAD: The three co-accused in former finance minister Senator Ishaq Dar assets accumulation case escaped indictment for the third time due to absence of their lawyer.
The accountability court hearing the case against Dar was expected to indict the co-accused named in the supplementary reference against the former finance minister.
Accountability court judge Muhammad Bashir conducted hearing of the case. National Bank of President (NBP) President Saeed Ahmad, Mansoor Raza and Naeem Mehmood – all co-accused in the case – appeared before the court.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed an interim reference against Dar in September last year on the Supreme Court’s directives in the Panama Papers case. In a supplementary reference filed afterwards, NAB accused NBP President Saeed Ahmed, Naeem Mehmood and Mansoor Rizvi of aiding Dar in opening fictitious bank accounts and transferring money abroad.
During the hearing, lawyer for the co-accused Hashmat Habib didn’t appear. The assistant lawyer requested the court to adjourn the hearing for a day. NAB prosecutor while opposing the pleas urged the court to indict the three suspects in the case as the presence of lawyer on the occasion was not mandatory under the law. “What difference will a day make? You usually appear before the court on daily basis,” the judge replied to the NAB prosecutor.
The assistant lawyer told the court that they have yet to receive the order of the Islamabad High Court, whereas NAB has also approached the IHC for the copy of the order. Hopefully, we will receive the order’s copy by the evening, he added. Saeed Ahmad also requested the court to provide them a chance so that they can see IHC’s order. “I know that there is nothing in the order. Your petition has been dismissed by the IHC,” remarked the judge. “You people also come to court on every hearing and then request to adjourn indictment,” the judge said to the suspects.
