The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday granted pre-arrest bail to former provincial information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon in cases pertaining to Rs 5.76 billion corruption in the information department and allotment of thousand acres of land to a private property developer.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a reference against PPP lawmaker for allegedly causing Rs5.76 billion loss to the national exchequer through the embezzlement in the Sindh government's advertisement campaign on electronic media.
The Bureau had also issued him a call-up notice for his appearance before the investigating officer pertaining to allotted and adjusted land in 43 Dehs at throw-away prices for a property developer, depriving the public exchequer of billions of rupees in revenue.
A two-member bench, headed by Justice Syed Muhammad Farooq Shah, approved Memon's pre-arrest bail in Rs 5.76 billion corruption reference and land allotment inquiry against a surety bonds of Rs 2 million in each case. The bench directed the applicant to cooperate with the investigating agency in connection with the investigation into the corruption scandals against him and appear before the trial court.
It also issued notices to the NAB prosecutor and federal law officer to respond to the bail petitions till April 17 when the cases are fixed for the confirmation of bail.
He approached the SHC through his lawyer Amir Raza Naqvi, seeking pre-arrest bail and contended that he was being politically victimised for his association with the PPP. Several fabricated and false cases were instituted by the NAB against PPP leaders, he added.
The lawyer submitted that his client was innocent and had been implicated in the corruption cases. A reference was filed against him, whereas he had been issued a call-up notice by the NAB in connection with an investigation into the allegations of illegal allotment and adjustment of lands in favour of Bahria Town. He requested the court to restrain the NAB from arresting Memon by granting him pre-arrest bail.