Daily Times

An accountability court on Friday adjourned hearing of Karachi Port Trust (KPT) corruption reference. Sindh Assembly member MQM’s Javed Hanif and other accused were present in the court hearing of Rs. 2.8 billion corruption case.

The judge while deferring the hearing till tomorrow due to absence of the lawyer of an accused, said the court will not adjourned the case repeatedly.

The court was hearing reference against the accused about illegal recruitment and misuse of authority, filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Former federal minister and a key accused Babar Ghauri has been declared proclaimed offender in the case.

The NAB prosecution presented Deputy Secretary Ports and Shipping Saifullah as its witness in an earlier hearing.

Former federal minister Babar Ghauri and eight other accused have been nominated in the NAB corruption reference.

Babar Ghauri and others facing charges of massive corruption of around Rs 2.8 billion in Karachi Port Trust (KPT), when he was federal minister for Ports and Shipping between 2008 and 2013.

The accused are facing charges of making 940 illegal appointments in the KPT in 2012.

On Sep 15 last year, the court while approving a reference filed by the NAB, had issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Babar Ghauri and other accused.

According to the reference filed by the anti-graft watchdog, Javed Hanif in his capacity as the then KPT chairman misused his official authority and made illegal appointments of 940 employees in the KPT with the connivance of Babar Ghauri.

NAB claims that the appointments were made in violation of the KPT law, rules and regulations, which was resulted in loss to national exchequer to the tune of Rs 2.8 billion.