KARACHI  -   The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) yesterday filed reference against Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani in assets-beyond-means case.

The NAB has named 20 persons including Agha Siraj as accused in the reference filed in an accountability court here after an inquiry, which continued for three months and 10 days.

According to NAB charge-sheet the accused were involved in corruption of up to 1.6 billion rupees.

The court has yet to approve the NAB reference against Agha Siraj and others for hearing.

The NAB officials informed Sindh High Court on Wednesday that reference will be filed against Durrani and other accused on Thursday.

A high court bench headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Shaikh is hearing bail petitions of Agha Siraj, his brother and other accused.

NAB investigation officer in progress report of the case informed the court that NAB inquiry had unearthed 35 vehicles owned by Siraj Durrani apart of crores of rupees properties.

He said the probe against Durrani and co-accused had been completed and evidence about illegal use of authority, illegal recruitments and other corrupt practices had been found.

The bureau had also key evidence about his assets-beyond-known means of income, the NAB investigation officer said.

The bench ordered NAB to submit report to the court on June 11 after filing reference against provincial assembly speaker.

Durrani’s counsel pleaded to the court that his client was in jail and sought hearing of his bail petition.

The bench said that the bail petition of Durrani will be heard after filing of the reference.

The NAB executive board had approved filing of a reference against Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani in an assets-beyond-means case.

The NAB Karachi had arrested Speaker Sindh Assembly Agha Siraj from a hotel in Islamabad in February this year.