Daily Times

An accountability court (AC) in Islamabad on Wednesday again summoned Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and other accused on next hearing in a corruption reference pertaining to Nooriabad power plant project. The court also directed NAB to share copies of reference with the accused persons named in the case.

Sindh chief minister appeared before the trial court during hearing along with his legal team. The NAB prosecutor, however, requested the court to issue arrest warrants against the accused who failed to appear before it. The defence lawyer argued that the issuance of arrest warrants without complying with the summons to the accused was against the principles of justice. The counsel further argued that copies of reference were also not provided to the accused nominated in the case.

The NAB prosecutor told the court that 17 persons are nominated in the corruption reference. The accountability court’s judge remarked that notices would be issued again to the accused. He also directed the bureau to provide copies of the reference among the accused. Later, the court issued notices to the absent accused once again and adjourned the hearing till April 19.

At the previous hearing, Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah along with co-accused including Khursheed Anwar Jamali and others had been asked to appear before the NAB court on March 31. The record comprising statements of witnesses and evidences had been submitted by NAB Rawalpindi in the accountability court against Murad Ali Shah consisting of 66 volumes.

According to the reference filed by NAB, Murad Ali Shah is accused of misusing his powers in disbursement of funds for the Nooriabad power plant project. It stated that public funds worth billions were embezzled for Nooriabad Power Company and Sindh Transmission and Dispatch Company. Shah and Abdul Ghani Majeed are among 17 persons who have been nominated in the corruption reference by the anti-graft watchdog.