LAHORE: A special anti-corruption court on Tuesday granted post-arrest bail to PTI President Pervaiz Elahi in Punjab Assembly illegal recruitment case.
A day earlier, the court had reserved its verdict on the PTI president’s petition for post-arrest bail after the state prosecutor and Elahi’s counsel concluded their arguments.
The court observed that bail granting order would be subject to the final decision of an application of the prosecution pending before the Lahore High Court for the vacation of a stay against a sessions court’s order that allowed the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) to seek remand of Elahi.
The sessions court on June 12 had set aside a decision of a judicial magistrate about denial of physical remand of Elahi to the ACE and acquittal in the case of the illegal appointments.
Pervaiz Elahi next day moved the Lahore High Court and got the sessions court’s orders suspended.
The court discussing the merits of the case noted that the appointments in questions were made in 2021 and there was an inordinate delay of over two years in reporting the matter to the ACE.
The court said the petitioner was never associated in the inquiry and the proceedings were ex-parte.
The court observed that a large number of posts were advertised and the successful candidates were recruited as recommended by the departmental selection committee. However, the court said, only 12 cases had been unearthed with the alleged forgery in the results declared by a private testing service.
The court, however, said the ACE officials of the testing service were also booked in the case but never arrested or investigated.
The court said nothing was recovered from the custody of the petitioner and the prosecution request for the physical remand was twice declined by the judicial magistrate concerned.
The court further observed that there was no aggrieved person/complainant against the petitioner rather the case was registered on a complaint of an official of the ACE itself.
The court held that the petitioner was of 77 years of age, who joined politics in 70s and had the honour to hold a number of portfolios including federal minister, deputy prime minister and the chief minister.
The court therefore, observed that the false implication of the petitioner due to ulterior motive and political grudge cannot be ruled out under the current political scenario.
The court also held the petitioner could not be kept in jail for an indefinite period and his further detention will serve no useful purpose.
The former Punjab chief minister was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Establish-ment (ACE) in Gujranwala earlier this month on allegations of taking Rs 15 million as bribes as the speaker of provincial assembly for making out-of-merit appointments on grade-17 posts in the provincial assembly. He added that the candidates were recruited by tampering with the records and through fake testing services. Pervaiz Elahi was sent to jail on judicial remand for 14 days.
Earlier, a special prosecutor argued that Elahi was guilty and opposed his bail. On the other hand, the counsel of Pervaiz Elahi said his client had no role in the allegations levelled against him.
Elahi’s bail comes a day after his cousin and PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain visited the PTI president in jail.
The ACE officials first arrested Elahi from outside his residence. However, the court termed the charges against Elahi not well-founded and discharged him. Soon after his discharge, anti-corruption officials took Elahi into custody again in two cases registered in Gujranwala.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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