NAB files reference against Dr Asim Hussain

Former minister charged with kickbacks, money laundering, inappropriate use of authority, land grabbing and corruption

KARACHI: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) finally filed a reference against former state minister for petroleum Dr Asim Hussain and close aide to former president Asif Ali Zardari in an Accountability Court (AC) as the reference pertained to five allegations including illegal commissions, money-laundering, land grabbing, inappropriate use of authority and corruption causing billions of loss to the national exchequer.

The reference was approved by the NAB chairman against Dr Asim for allegedly causing a loss of more than Rs450 billion to the national exchequer. The court accepted the reference and permitted to try Dr Asim and other accused in this case.

The reference also mentioned the names of Abdul Hameed, Athar Hussain and Masood Haider Jaffery as accused. The court accepted the reference for hearing that consisted of 40 pages regarding the investigation report and more than 3,000 other pages that presented the pieces of evidence and other proof of allegations. The reference alleged that Dr Asim Hussian was involved in money laundering, black marketing of gas, kickbacks, land grabbing and misuse of trust. He had made an unjustified distribution of the gas quota, got gratifications and kickbacks, grabbed plots illegally and misappropriated around Rs463 billion.

The reference submitted to the court presented some 3,074 pieces of evidence against Dr Asim Hussain who was termed the key accused who being the former federal minister for petroleum and a close aide of Asif Ali Zardari had misused his authority by making fraudulent allotment of plots and encroachment of state land for the Dr Ziauddin Hospital and also made illegal gains by kickbacks and black marketing of gas. According to the reference Dr Asim Hussain also received commission through the fertilizer cartel for illegal curtailment of gas for alleged exploitative price hike and black marketing between 2010 and 2012 and caused fraud to the general public and committed money laundering as well. The NAB had initiated an inquiry involving an amount of Rs13 billion against Dr Asim Hussian.

He is also facing a case in an anti-terrorism court (ATC) and on February 22, the attorney for the Rangers also submitted applications against the IO for his alleged biased role in the trial and also against the in-charge ‘Maal-khana’ (a place where case properties are stored) claiming that the two were trying to influence the case negatively.

However, the IO DSP Altaf Hussain alleged that the Rangers have their own view in investigating the matter. Dr Asim Hussain was arrested by the Rangers on a 90-day physical remand and later he had to face detention for a period of more than five months. Finally, the administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts had referred the case to the ATC (II). Besides he is facing a reference filed by the NAB to the AC.