Court defers giving verdict in FCS graft case till February 11

An accountability court on Saturday deferred till February 11 its judgement in a case pertaining to corruption at the Fishermen Cooperative Society (FCS), involving Pakistan Peoples Party local leader Dr Nisar Morai.

Accountability Court -I had reserved its decision last week after hearing the final arguments from the defence and the prosecution following a nearly three years long trial. The decision was likely to be pronounced on Saturday.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a reference in January 2018, accusing then FCS chief Morai, former chief Abdul Saeed Khan, former vice chairman Sultan Qamar Siddiqui and 10 other officials and contractors of misusing their authority, embezzling funds, making illegal appointments and awarding fake contracts during 2014-15.

According to the reference, the defendants caused losses to the tune of Rs343 million to the national exchequer. It said that Morai joined the FCS as a director in 2013 and within a year rose to become its chairman contrary to the rules, as he had already been holding a public office as a medical officer in the Sindh health department.

It added that Morai allegedly made over 300 illegal appointments in the FCS against the due process and misappropriated funds. Khan was accused of making 155 illegal appointments and Siddiqui was accused of getting his father-in-law, brother-in-law and other relatives appointed in the society against the law.

Morai, who is a prominent local figure in the Pakistan Peoples Party, was arrested by Rangers in March 2016 and subsequently detained for 90 days under the special powers given to the paramilitary force through the Anti-Terrorism Act. Besides, this corruption case, Morai faces other cases too, including the murder case of the then chairman of Pakistan Steel Mills, Sajjad Hussain, in 1998.