Ex-IGP Jamali involved in illegal recruitment, SHC told

Former inspector general of police Ghulam Haider Jamali had made illegal appointments with the active connivance of then Sindh Reserve Police’s Hyderabad SP Ghulam Nabi Keerio, and the government suffered losses of millions of rupees, the Sindh High Court was told by the National Accountability Bureau on Thursday.

Filing comments on a petition that Jamali had filed against the initiation of an inquiry into the alleged illegal recruitment in the Sindh Police, NAB’s special prosecutor submitted that the then Hyderabad SP of the Sindh Reserve Police made illegal appointments against sanctioned posts in November 2013 and the former IGP legitimised the postings by allowing the release of salaries.

The NAB prosecutor alleged that Jamali malafidely allowed Keerio to conduct the recruitment process, whereas the required posts were not okayed by the finance department and did not initiate an inquiry despite a written complaint by then DIG Dr Aftab Pathan.

He said the petitioner did not come to the court with clean hands in view of the very serious allegations and he was not entitled to any relief.

The NAB counsel said that the former provincial police chief was allegedly involved in the commission of corruption and corrupt practices, as envisaged under Section 9(a) of the National Accountability Ordinance.

After taking the comments on record, the court adjourned the hearing for further arguments. The court also granted Jamali’s request for the return of the surety he had deposited as he had returned to the country after performing Hajj.

 

Sharjeel transitory bail 

The Sindh High Court extended the transitory protective bail of former information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon till November 14 so that he could surrender to the trial court in a Rs5 billion corruption reference and answer questions under a NAB investigation into the illegal consolidation and adjustment of thousands of acres of revenue land.

The PPP leader, who has been living in self-exile in London since law-enforcement agencies launched a crackdown last year against politicians and bureaucrats over corruption, submitted that he was booked by NAB in a false corruption reference without issuing him any call-up notice or any other information when he was out of the country.

His counsel said that the court had granted him transitory protective bail till November 7 to surrender before the trial court in the Rs5 billion advertisements scam. He said NAB had also issued a call-up notice to the petitioner pertaining to illegal adjustment and consolidation of thousands of acres of land in Malir though his client was abroad. He sought an extension of the transitory bail in two cases till November 29 so that he could safely land in the country and surrender before the trial court for obtaining bail. 

The NAB counsel waived the notice on the petition and submitted that he had no objection if the petitioner’s transitory bail was extended for a short period as one month had already been granted to the petitioner. 

A division bench headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto observed that the petitioner was granted one month’s time to surrender, but he failed to do so. 

The court, turning down the request of the petitioner’s counsel for an extension of the transitory bail till November 29, ordered that transitory bail of the petitioner was extended till November 14. 

The court directed that the petitioner surrender his passport before the Nazir of the court upon arrival in the country and said that he would not be arrested in the meantime.

NAB had filed the corruption reference against Memon, information department officials and advertising companies’ representatives for committing corruption in the award of advertisements of the provincial government’s awareness campaigns in the electronic media involving over Rs5 billion.