ISLAMABAD - An accountability court here on Tuesday issued summon notices to the accused involved in Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) multibillion rupees scam.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) submitted two references pertaining to the illegal appointment of former chairman OGRA Tauqir Sadiq and the corruption, misuse of authority, increase in Unaccounted for Gas (UFG) benchmark during his chairmanship at OGRA in Accountability Court Number 1 Islamabad.
The NAB submitted the references after removing the objections raised by the Registrar Office during the earlier hearing. In the reference about illegal appointment of Tauqir Sadiq two former Premiers Yusuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf, and a few top bureaucrats were nominated as accused.
Similarly, in corruption and corrupt practices reference, top officials of SSGCL, former managing director SNGPL and AKD were nominated as accused in the reference. Former chairman OGRA Tauqir Sadiq was also produced in the court and during hearing, NAB officials pleaded for some more time in order to remove the objections raised against the reference.
Tauqir Sadiq made a submission to the court that he has already been sent to the jail, while no reference against him has been filed so far. He complained that the NAB officials haven’t informed him of the charges or documents against him. Accountability Judge Mohammad Bashir said that no further laxity in the case would be tolerated and ordered for issuing notices to the accused to appear before the court on February 18.
Meanwhile, talking to media, Tauqir Sadiq claimed that he was being forced to name former President Asif Ali Zardari, Yousuf Raza Gilani and several other businessmen and politicians. He said that AKD was not involved in matters of OGRA. He said that his fundamental human rights were being violated during detention.
NAB PRESENTS EVIDENCE AGAINST RAJA
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) presented a documentary proof in the Accountability Court against former Premier Raja Pervez Ashraf in the Rental Power Case (RPPs) case.
Four witnesses of the RRPs case appeared before the court from NAB side and the court, beaded by Judge Muhammad Bashir, recorded the statement of Project Director of Nandi Pur Power Project. NAB presented the documentary proof in the court and the hearing of the case was adjourned till February 26. The defense counsel on next hearing will cross question the witness who has recorded statement against Raja Pervez Ashraf.
Talking to media after hearing of the case, Farooq H Naik, the counsel for Raja Pervez, said that his client had done nothing wrong and there was no documentary proof against him in RPPs case. He said that the references presented by the NAB in the accountability court do not have the signatures of Raja Pervez Ashraf and it was also not proved that he was involved in corruption. He said whatever Raja Pervez Ashraf did during his tenure as prime minister was in the interest of the nation and the country.
On the occasion, Raja Pervez told the media that his family was facing embarrassment in the society due to baseless allegations. He questioned his political opponents for the crimes and said when the NAB officials could not prove the corruption allegations; they have now framed charges of misusing powers.
The Supreme Court had said in clear terms that it should be checked that these people had not harvested any financial benefit, he said adding the case has now been presented before the accountability court and it is mentioned in its charges that no one has gained any personal benefit nor any corruption has been committed.