Corruption case against Dar, others: AC requested to adjourn case sine die

ISLAMABAD: The counsels for three co-accused in a corruption case against former finance minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday requested the Accountability Court to adjourn the case sine die (adjournment without date) as the prime accused, Dar, is likely to come back to the country and any decision on acquittal applications of the co-accused will affect the case.

The Accountability Court-I Judge, Muhammad Bashir, while hearing assets beyond means case against Dar and others, reserved its decision on the defense counsel’s request to adjourn the case sine die for time.

Later, the court set May 18 for the announcement of its judgment on sine die. The defense counsels have been seeking adjournment since April 13 that Dar who is presently in London will return back to the country.

The court indicted the three co-accused including co-accused persons including former president National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Saeed Ahmed, Naeem Mehmood and Mansoor Rizvi - two directors of Dar’s companies on April 4, 2018.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor, Afzal Qureshi, Investigation Officer (IO) NAB Nadir Abbas, QaziMisbah Counsel for co-accused Syed Mansoor Raza Rizvi and Naeem Mahmood, Ahmad Shujah Butt, counsel for Saeed Ahmad appeared before the court.

The same court on December 10, 2017 had declared Dar, the main accused as proclaimed offender for continuously remaining absent during court proceedings.

All the counsels have not conducted arguments on acquittal applications for the accused other than Dar and requested sine die adjournment.

They argued before the court that the prime accused, Dar is likely to come back soon and any decision, either way will have an effect on the case.

The three co-accused who were nominated in the supplementary reference filed against Dar by the NAB had challenged the reference under the National Accountability (second and third amendment) ordinances, 2021.

The court adjourned the hearing of the case till May 18.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022