A provincial anti-corruption court in Karachi has sent former official Zamir Abbasi to judicial custody in the alleged Rs8.5 billion corruption case linked to the city’s BRT Yellow Line project.
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The court ordered that Abbasi be transferred to Karachi Central Jail after investigators informed the court that they no longer required his physical remand for further questioning. The court also issued a notice to the prosecution on his bail application and adjourned the hearing until July 11.
During the proceedings, investigating officer Sher Zaman told the court that the investigation had reached a stage where additional physical custody of the accused was unnecessary. A representative of the Sindh Anti-Corruption Department said investigators had already questioned Abbasi through a set of 128 queries during the investigation.
A member of the Joint Investigation Team informed the court that authorities were examining the payment procedures under the project contract. Preliminary findings, according to investigators, suggested that payments had been made without securing the required bank guarantees, raising concerns about financial safeguards.
The court asked whether the investigation could be completed within the legally prescribed 90-day period. Investigators replied that efforts were underway to conclude the inquiry before the deadline.
During the hearing, Abbasi stated that six investigating officers had been changed since the case was registered. He rejected allegations of wrongdoing, arguing that the project’s consultant played a significant role in the implementation process and insisting that the government had not suffered any financial loss.
The court also referred to concerns reportedly raised by the World Bank regarding the possible misuse of project funds. Abbasi responded that World Bank review missions regularly monitored the project during his tenure and had even increased funding after reviewing progress.
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Following the hearing, the court remanded Abbasi to judicial custody and directed that he be presented through a video link at the next hearing while proceedings on his bail request continue.