Setting up of additional accountability courts: PM wants quick disposal of corruption cases, SC told

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court was informed that Prime Minister Imran Khan has given direction for the establishment of 30 additional accountability courts for quick disposal of corruption cases.

A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, heard a suo motu regarding delay in the trial of cases by the Accountability Courts (ACs) in the light of Section 16 of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, which requires decisions on NAB cases within 30 days.

The federal government on Oct 26, 2020, had decided to establish 30 new ACs out of 120, while the remaining would be set up in a phase-wise manner.

The Supreme Court on 08-07-2020 had ordered for setting up 120 ACs all over the country as the corruption cases are not decided within the timeframe mentioned in the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.

It had directed the ACs all over the country to hear corruption cases on a daily basis without granting adjournments, and decide them expeditiously.

Additional Attorney General (AAG) Sohail Mehmood on behalf of the Law Ministry submitted a report about setting up of ACs.

He said the Finance Division had also given approval to additional 30 ACs, and a notification in that regard would be issued soon, and that they would be become functional within one month.

Upon a query by the bench, the AAG stated that the acting secretary law had signed the report.

The chief justice said the Ministry of Law and Justice should not be run on ad hocism. A permanent secretary needs to be appointed for continuity and smooth running of the system, he added.

The federal government says that Rs2.86 billion per year would be needed to establish 120 new ACs as desired by the top court.

Under Section 5 (g), a judge of the accountability court is appointed by the president in consultation with the concerned chief justice of the high court for three years.

Similarly, Section 5(h) stipulates that an accountability judge should be a serving district and sessions judge, and qualified to be appointed as a judge of high court.

Whereas, Section 16(b) says that the AC will sit at place or places as the federal government orders or specifies.

The chief justice directed the AC, Karachi, to record the statements of the remaining witnesses regarding misappropriation in the construction of Lakhra Power Plant and submit its report by the second week of next month.

The prosecutor general NAB stated that the case regarding the Rs2.5 billion corruption case against a provincial legislator belonging to the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party, former president of Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Goharullah and others regarding “fraudulent” sale of coal is fixed for hearing on January 6th.

He said out of 24 witnesses the statements of 18 had been recorded, while the rest of the witnesses’ statements would be recorded on Jan 6th.

The case was adjourned until second week of February.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021