ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court Monday rejected a petition of National Bank of Pakistan President Saeed Ahmed against a supplementary corruption reference moved by NAB against him for assets beyond means. A division bench of IHC, comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, dismissed the petition of Saeed co-accused with Senator Ishaq Dar in a supplementary corruption reference for assets beyond means.
The petitioner moved the court through his counsel Hashmat Habib and cited the National Accountability Bureau through its chairman as respondent.
In his petition, he said a supplementary corruption reference was filed against Dar and three others wherein the petitioner was too dubbed as an accused.
He added that the supplementary reference was filed by NAB as a result of further investigation after submission of interim investigation report in the main corruption reference.
Saeed contended that the petitioner after going through reference, inquiry report and all material could not find any allegation having nexus directly or indirectly to him available in these documents in terms of the mandatory provision of Section 265-D, CrPC.
He argued that he also filed an application under section 265-D CrPC before the trial court praying the corruption reference to his extent may be set aside but the trial court on March 14 dismissed his application. He added that NAB in its supplementary reference had alleged: “During investigation it was revealed that NBP President Saeed Ahmed was one of the Directors of Hajveri Modarba Management Company and 7,000 shares in Hajveri Holding (Pvt) Ltd were transferred in his favour by the wife of Ishaq Dar. Seven banks accounts were opened in the name of accused Saeed Ahmed, which as per investigation were prima facie used for the benefit of Dar and his companies. Saeed Ahmed had intentionally allowed Dar to open/operate/use bank accounts in his name to protect his ill-gotten money and penal liability by providing a cover to this criminal act whereby he aided, assisted and abetted Dar commission of offence”.
However, he had maintained before the Accountability Court (AC) that the allegations levelled against him were imaginary. Allegation of opening seven bank accounts is ill-founded as the supplementary investigation report reveals that the account opening forms were sent for forensic examination and signatures of the applicant (Saeed Ahmed) do not tally. When those accounts were opened, he was abroad and the forensic report has clarified that the signatures on account opening forms were not his and he never used those accounts for any purpose.
But the AC rejected his application on March 14 saying the accused/applicant has to explain his position that why he kept mum for a considerable time when accounts opened in his name were being operated. He is an employee in a bank, the question is whether any action is taken on his part or not.