Accountability court sends Ahsan Iqbal to jail on judicial remand

An accountability court in Islamabad on Monday turned down a request by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to extend physical remand of PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal in a case pertaining to the Narowal Sports City scam. The accountability judge sent the former federal minister to jail on judicial remand until next hearing. At the outset of the hearing, NAB officials presented Ahsan Iqbal before the judge, requesting a 14-day extension in his physical remand for further questioning in connection with an investigation into the scam. The judge observed the accused has already been in the bureau’s custody for 28 days and asked if they want his 90-day physical remand. A NAB prosecutor informed the court that Ahsan Iqbal was arrested on Dec 23 as the probe into the case is underway. He added statements of witnesses have been recorded after the arrest of the PML-N leader. Meanwhile, the court gave the accused permission to meet his family members inside jail. He was also allowed to have home-cooked food and access to medical treatment. Ahsan Iqbal is accused of using funds of the federal government and Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) for a sports city in Narowal. He had already filed a reply to a questionnaire given to him by the bureau previously. Sources said the NAB Rawalpindi chapter has already received a complete record of the Narowal Sports City project to investigate alleged financial irregularities, which multiplied the estimated construction cost of Rs300 million to Rs3 billion. Meanwhile, aan accountability court in Islamabad has extended the judicial remand of Anwar Majeed, Abdul Ghani Majeed, Dawoodi Morkas and others in a case related to fake bank accounts on Monday. The court resumed the hearing of a corruption reference over subsidy of sugarcane against Anwar Majeed, Abdul Ghani Majeed, Dawoodi Morkas, Rashid Ahmed and others where the accused persons were produced. The judge questioned for the appearance of other accused persons. The lawyer representing National Accountability Bureau (NAB) replied that Khawaja Anwar Majeed is in Karachi under judicial custody, whereas, other accused persons were not traced out as their locations in foreign countries were not yet known. Defence lawyer said Anwar Majeed could not shift to Islamabad due to his severe ailment. NAB lawyer pleaded the court to summon medical report of Anwar Majeed from the jail authority. The court decided to direct the concerned institution to provide travel details of the accused persons left the country. The judge also ordered the jail superintendent to send medical reports of Anwar Majeed. Later, the court extended the judicial remand of the accused persons and adjourned the hearing till February 6. Earlier in November last year, the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Rawalpindi chapter had formally named Khawaja Anwar Majeed, owner of the controversial Omni Group in a corruption reference. The reference is filed under charges of embezzlement of funds and corruption in subsidy awarded to sugar mills by the group. Subsidy awarded by the Sindh government was also meddled with and used for corrupt practices, claims the reference. An amount of Rs 3.9 billion were issued by the group in the name of Sugar mills, which was relayed under the signatures and watch of the Police commissioner Sindh at the time. The reference further claims that the investigations into the matter have revealed 8 sugar mills to be direct properties of Omni Group. The Mills are controlled by Khwaja Anwar Majeed and his four sons, Nimr Majeed, Mustafa Zulqarnain Majeed and Ali Kamal Majeed and Abdul Ghani Majeed. Separately, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has tightened noose around Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Sharjeel Memon and issued his arrest warrant over alleged corruption in Roshan Sindh Programme inquiry. Meanwhile, Justice Aamer Farooq of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) extended pre-arrest bail of Memon in the case till January 22. The NAB is expected to submit the arrest warrants in the court. Justice Aamer Farooq has referred the matter to the chief justice of the high court. Sharjeel Memon had earlier challenged the NAB probe into the Roshan Sindh corruption case on the basis of NAB Amendment Ordinance. In his petition, Memon sought IHC to declare the probe null and void, as well as pleaded the high court to immediately stop further proceedings in the corruption case. In petition the former Sindh minister denied allegations against him. NAB is holding an inquiry into complaints of massive corruption in the Roshan Sindh project initiated by the provincial government for the installation of solar streetlights across the province.