The Sindh High Court dismissed on Monday a bail application submitted on medical grounds by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Sharjeel Inam Memon in a case related to misappropriation in contracts for government advertisements. However, the bench accepted bail pleas for two other accused in the case. Memon, a former provincial information minister, was arrested in October last year by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials from outside the SHC after his interim bail plea was revoked. The bureau had booked him and 11 others – including the former provincial information secretary, other officials of the information department and heads of different advertisement agencies – for allegedly embezzling Rs 5.77 billion. The money was embezzled purportedly while awarding contracts to seven advertising agencies to run awareness campaigns from 2013 to 2015. Published in Daily Times, May 15th 2018.