Thatta Water Supply case: AC records statement of prosecution witness

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court hearing multi-billion rupees fake bank accounts case on Monday, completed recording statement of a prosecution witness who exhibited various documents before it in Thatta Water Supply case against former president Asif Ali Zardari and others.

The accountability court-II judge Muhammad Azam Khan while hearing the case completed recording statement of witness Syed Naeed Ahmed. Ahmed, while testifying before the court produced various documents regarding the case.

The witness produced original submission of IPC No 4 dated March 17, 2016 along with interim payment certificate No 4 issued by Muhammad Saddiq Sulimani of EA Consulting (Private) Limited, original submission of IPC No 3 dated February 3, 2016 along with interim payment certificate No 4 issued by Muhammad Saddiq Sulimani of EA Consulting (Private) Limited.

He also produced original submission of IPC No 3 dated February 3, 2016 along with interim payment certificate No 4 issued by M Saddiq Sulimani of EA Consulting (Private) Limited along with the copy of voucher in favour of M/s Harish Company for an amount of Rs 15,096,210 with original request letter dated May 28, 2015 of M Saddiq Sulimani of EA Consulting (Private) Limited addressed to project director Special Initiative Department, Government of Sindh, and copy of letter dated May 18, 2015 issued by Hassan Ali Memon project director.

He also produced original running accounts bill along with memorandum of payment and copy of modified PC 1 phase 1 for cost of Rs 378.15 m of April 2014 along with attested copy of development scheme (Special Initiative Department) decision taken by Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) meeting held on April 25, 2014 P&D Department of Government of Sindh, Karachi.

Associates of counsel of Zardari, Abdul Ghani Majeed and accused and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor, Irfan Bola, appeared before the court. At the start of the hearing, associate of Zardari's counsel and counsel of other accused filed separate applications seeking exemption for their clients from personal appearance, which the court approved.

After completion of recoding of the statement of the witness, the court adjourned hearing of the case till July 30. The anti-graft body nominated Asif Ali Zardari and 13 other suspects, in the supplementary reference filed in connection with Thatta water supply scam. The bureau had not nominated Zardari in the interim reference, and Ashfaq Leghari, and in-charge Naudero House, Nadeem Bhutto, in the supplementary reference.

In the interim reference, the bureau nominated 13 accused including Ejaz Ahmed Khan, former secretary of Special Initiative Department of Sindh, Hassan Memon, project director/chairman of the procurement committee for the water supply scheme, Thatta, members of the committee namely, Ali Akbar Abro, Aijaz Ahmed Memon, Athar Nawaz Durrani, Abdul Haleem Memon, Mohammad Farrukh Khan, Mohammad Ramzan, Mohammad Siddiq Sulimani, and Zeeshan Hasan Yousaf, a private contractor Harish, CEO Omni Group Khawaja Abdul Ghani Majeed, and Minahal Majeed.

Meanwhile, the same court adjourned hearing of Pink Residency case against Omni Group Abdul Ghani Majeed and others till July 29 without any proceedings. During the hearing, prosecution witness, Meer Laiq appeared before the court but the defense counsel as well as the judge remarked that first complete the statement of Amir Ali Jatoi another prosecution witness then proceeded further. The court summoned Amir Ali Jatoi, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Malir, Karachi, to appear before it with complete record on July 29.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021