ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court Monday indicted former prime minister and senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former finance minister Miftah Ismail and others, in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) case. The Accountability Court judge Muhammad Azam Khan, while hearing the case, provided the copies of the charge-sheet to all the accused for reading. The accused, Abbasi and other accused denied charges and opted to contest it.
The 26-page charge consists of 64 charges against the 12 accused. Former premier Abbasi, accused Uzma Adil Khan former chairman OGRA and other accused appeared before the court, while charges against Ismail, Sheikh Ikramul Haq ex-managing director (MD) Pakistan State Oil (PSO), Agha Jan Akhtar, former chairman Port Qasim Authority (PQA), Abdul Samad Dawood Director Engro Corporation Limited, Hussain Dawood Chairman Engro Corporation Limited, Muhammad Amin MD Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) were framed via video link from Accountability Court, Karachi.
After framing the charges, the court adjourned the hearing till November 19th and summoned three witnesses for recording of their statements. Abbasi, while talking to media after appearing before the court, said that the reference filed by the NAB against him and others had nothing to do with LNG but the bureau had made an attempt to make a reference over the award of contract of LNG terminal.
This is one of the big charge sheets in the history of Pakistan and it consists of 64 allegations, he said. He said that there was no allegation of corruption in the charge sheet against him. Such kind of charge sheet can be made against every person who works for this country, he said, adding that he was ready to contest this case.
Abbasi said that he told several time to the NAB did not include the name of 11 people in the reference, if you have intended to do political engineering and want to make case against him. These 11 people have nothing to do with this matter, he said.
Former premier said that the NAB has a major role in the "destruction" of Pakistan's economy. When we come to power our first job will be abolishment of the NAB and will take action against people like this chairman without naming NAB Chairman Justice (retired) Javed Iqbal and others who made such baseless allegations and cases.
According to the charge sheet, the accused Abbasi being a federal minister of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources (MP&NR), it was in your knowledge that in March 2013 M/s Port Gas Pakistan Ltd (PGPL) was selected as successful bidder for procurement of LNG along with installation of LNG terminal for 400 mmcfd regasification facility under integrated system through open competitive bidding.
You accused in connivance with M/s Engro Terminal Pakistan Ltd (ETPL) owned by accused person Hussain Dawood and Abdul Samad Dawood by misusing your authority got cancelled the Fast Track LNG (integrated system) project from Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on June 27, 2013 and changed Fast track integrated system of LNG import along with installing of LNG terminal into disintegrated (i.e tolling system) for import of LNG without preparation of any feasibility/Tchno Economic Feasibility Study.
It was in your knowledge that M/s Quality Engineering Development (QED) consulting UK had disqualified to M/s ETPL in March 2, 2013 through due bidding process and declared M/s PGPL as successful bidder. The M/s PGPL could not be able make agreement with Sui Southern Gas Company Ltd (SSGCL) due to stay order of Supreme Court on suo motu notice, which was taken due to news published on March 10, 2013 pertaining to reservation of non-transparency in bidding process for selection of M/s PGPL carried out by accused Phillip Nutman MD/CEO of M/s QED Consulting UK.
It further says that the accused being Minister of MP&NR it was in your knowledge that Supreme Court while disposing of the constitution petition (CP) no 11 of 2013 with rendering the commitment by your ministry passed an observation "be that as it may we dispose of the instant petition in view of that statement so made on behalf of the Ministry of Petroleum with observation that all the proceedings process etc regarding award of LNG contract which ever the ministry deems appropriate in the national interest that must be in accordance with the rules regulations and strictly in transparent manner."
You accused being holder of public office did not perform your lawful duty in a transparent manner contrary to the observations of Supreme Court and extended every sort of undue favour for awarding the contract of LNG Terminal-1 to M/s ETPL despite facts prior four months the M/s ETPL had already been disqualified in previous bidding process by the accused, Phillip Nutman of M/s 3QED Consulting UK.
It says that accused Abbasi being a federal minister MP&NR, it was in your knowledge that prior to publication of advertisement initiating of bidding process and award of LNG contract M/s ETPL had illegally desired to install the LNG terminal at adjacent place of existing Chemical/LPG terminal/jetty of M/s Engro Vopak Terminal Ltd (EVT).
For the implementation of illegal desire of M/s ETPL you accused with mala fide intention got appointed accused Agha Jan Akhtar as chairman Port Qasim Authority (PQA) and accused Agha Jan Akhtar assumed the charge as chairman PQA on July 16, 2013. Yours truly, accused in connivance with M/s ETPL and accused Agha Akhtar by misusing your authority directed the PQA to allow the M/s ETPL to establish LNG Terminal adjacent to Chemical/LPG terminal of M/s EVT, which was outside of LNG zone as per master plan of PQA, it says.
The charge sheet further says that accused Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam MD M/s Airblue Ltd is real brother of Tariq Chaudhry, CEO of M/s Airblue Ltd. Accused belong to a middle class family and your brother Tariq Muhammad Chaudhry was class fellow of accused Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
Accused is under intermediate and running the affairs of M/s Airblue as MD. The accused being MD of M/s Airblue received huge amount of Rs622 million from accused Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and accused Abdullah Khaqan Abbasi in different times through banking transactions in 2013 to 2018 and you accused returned back Rs560.678 million in the account of accused Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on December 29, 2017 as a single transaction.
Moreover, you accused being MD M/s Airblue after resignation of accused Shahid Khaqan Abbasi from the post of COO of M/s Airblue Ltd, you regularly transferring the illegal amount in the name of accused Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as monthly from 2013 to 2018 in his Faisal Bank account despite the fact at that time he was holder of public office and was enjoying the portfolio of Minister of MP&NR and later of Prime Minister of Pakistan.
It says that the accused being an MD of M/s Airblue Ltd on May 25, 2016 transferred another unexplained transaction amounting to Rs57 million in the account of accused Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
Later on accused Shahid Khaqan Abbasi after passing six days, on May 30-2-2016 purchased shares from M/s Airblue Ltd amount to Rs56.25 million from the same amount and in this way accused Shahid Khaqan Abbasi through this unexplained money become partner of 10 percent share in M/s Airblue Ltd.
You accused facilitating the accused Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and accused Abdullah Khaqan Abbasi for disposal of their black money, while converting into white money have committed the offence of money laundering as defined under Sections 3 and 4 of Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) 2010.
During the previous hearing, the court had separated two foreign-based accused including Managing Director M/s QED Consultants UK Phillip Nutman and chief executive officer of Maverick Advisory Shana Sadiq from the case.
The NAB on August 6 filed supplementary reference in LNG case and nominated Abbasi Abdul Khaqan Abbasi son of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former finance minister Miftah Ismail, ex-managing director (MD) Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Sheikh Imranul Haque, Agha Jan Akhtar, former chairman Port Qasim Authority (PQA), and Saeed Ahmed Khan, former chairman Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), in the supplementary reference.
The other accused include, Aamir Naseem, former member oil OGRA, Uzma Adil Khan, chairperson OGRA, Shahid M Islam, former MD PSO, and Abdul Samad Dawood Director Engro Corporation Limited, Hussain Dawood Chairman Engro Corporation Limited, M/s QED Consultant UK through its MD Phillip Nutman, Maverick Advisory through its CEO Sana Sadiq, Muhammad Amin MD Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL), and Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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