An accountability court on Wednesday indicted former railways minister Khwaja Saad Rafiq and his brother former provincial minister Khwaja Salman Rafiq in Paragon City scam. Khwaja brothers, however, denied the charges and decided to contest the trial against them. The prosecution furnished copies of the reference and the list of the charges to the suspects.
The counsel of Khwaja brothers opposed the indictment and sought a week time to go through the documents. He argued that the court was supposed to examine first whether the prosecution had a case for indictment.
The court however, observed that the indictment was not a punishment and the suspects will have the opportunity to defend them in the trial and adjourned hearing to September 13 and directed the prosecution to present its witnesses.
The NAB in the reference accused the Khwaja brothers of wrongfully gain of approximately Rs 18.2 million from M/s Paragon City (pvt) Limited in their bank accounts. It said Khwaja Saad in order to achieve his nefarious designs and to disguise origin of his illegitimate pecuniary benefits established a proprietorship concern namely M/s Saadan Associates whereby he wrongfully gained an amount of Rs 58 million from M/s Executive Builders, a proxy of Paragon City, in last few years under the garb of services of consultancy.
Similarly, the bureau accused Khwaja Salman of same corrupt practice by establishing M/s KSR Associates and receiving Rs 39 million from the M/s Executive Builders under the garb of consultancy services.
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