SHC seeks report from NAB on reference against former CS

The Sindh High Court on Friday directed the National Accountability Bureau’s counsel to submit a report with regards to the filing of a reference against former provincial chief secretary, Siddique Memon, in a case pertaining to illegal regularisation of land.

The direction came on a petition filed by the former chief secretary against initiation of the NAB inquiry against him. Memon had assailed the anti-graft agency's probe against him with regards to allotment and regularisation of land in Sector 52-A Corridor, Scheme 33, in Karachi for residential and commercial purpose.

The petitioner’s counsel submitted in the petition that the anti-corruption watchdog had taken cognizance with regard to allotment and regularisation of the land in question to Mohammad Ayub. He submitted that the allotment of the land was cancelled but later on the application of Ayub, the allotment of the land was regularised in January 2008 by a committee headed by a retired judge of the high court.

He submitted that the petitioner had neither any nexus with the original allotment nor he was a member of the committee which had regularised the aforesaid allotment as he was afterward posted as the secretary of the Land Utilisation Department. Besides, he said, Memon did not benefit from either the allotment or the law by any means.

He further maintained that the NAB had been made aware of the regularisation process of the lands committee. He informed the court that two army officers from station headquarter and five corps were also members of the committee along with the finance and land department members and the process was completed after examination of all relevant record and clarification. 

The NAB counsel submitted that the matter against the former chief secretary had been sent to the NAB chairman after completion of investigation for action in accordance with the law. He said the inquiries regarding other co-accused had also been completed and references were to be filed against them.

The court directed the NAB counsel to submit report with regard to filing of reference against the petitioner and others and adjourned the hearing for the date to be fixed by office.

The NAB counsel had earlier submitted in court that the regularisation committee was deliberately misguided and facts were concealed from them. Besides, he said, the allottee in connivance with government officials managed to get verification of fake receipts.

The NAB had requested the court to dismiss the petition of the chief secretary who had allegedly not come clean in court and had filed a petition with malafide intentions only to hamper the proceedings of the inquiry.

PPL property scam

The SHC also directed NAB to file a report on filing of reference against a former managing director of the Pakistan Petroleum Limited and others in a case pertaining to a deal to purchase Rs1.2 billion plot between the estate broker, the AKD Real Estate, and the Pakistan Petroleum Limited, allegedly made in violation of the Public Procurement Rules.

Khalid Rehman, who is also named as a co-accused in a multi-billion corruption reference against former federal minister Dr Asim Hussain, and others had moved the court for obtaining pre-arrest bail and against the NAB’s inquiry pertaining to the purchase of land for a corporate office of the PPL in violation of the procurement rules in collusion with the estate broker and the AKD Real Estate.

The anti-corruption agency conducted an inquiry into the purchase of 6,928 square-yards plot at a prime location of the city on a complaint that the real estate entered into the agreement with regard to purchase of the plot situated at Civil Lines Quarters with mala fide intention and illegal gains. 

It was alleged that the deal was made at Rs175,000 per square yard with a total consideration of Rs1,212,442,000 whereas at that time the official rate of the said property was Rs34,500 per square yard, while the market rate was from Rs100,000 to Rs125,000. 

The complaint alleged that the property in question was transferred to the PPL through a conveyance deed on July 15, 2010, registered at the office of a sub-registrar in Saddar, alleging that the property was purchased at a rate which was 40 percent higher than the market price to earn illegal gains and causing a loss to the national exchequer worth millions of rupees.

The NAB counsel submitted that the investigation had been completed in the case and a report had been sent to the NAB chairman for approval of filing a reference. He also sought time to file the report.