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October 24 , 2017

NAB arrests Sharjeel, 12 others in corruption scandal

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Monday dismissed the protective bail of former information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, information department officials and advertisement companies’ representatives in Rs5.76 billion corruption case.

Sharjeel Inam was later on arrested by the National Accountability Bureau from the court premises along with other co-accused as the SHC turned down the request of Sharjeel’s counsel to suspend the bail rejection order to enable Memon to approach the Supreme Court against the bail rejection order.

The former information minister was booked by the NAB in a corruption reference along with information department officials and advertising companies’ representatives for allegedly committing corruption in the award of advertisements of provincial government’s awareness corruption in the award of advertisements of provincial government’s awareness campaigns in the electronic media involving over Rs5 billion.

Besides Memon, former provincial information secretary Zulfiqar Ali Shalwani, deputy directors of information department Mansoor Ahmed Rajput and Mohammed Yousuf Kaboro and others were among the 17 accused cited in the reference.

It was alleged that advertising agencies suppressed the invoices issued by the media and showed much higher amounts, while as per settled practice advertising agencies were entitled to get only 15 per cent agency commission against the total bill.

NAB prosecutor Altaf Khan opposed the bail applications of the former information minister and others and submitted that pre-qualification of advertising agencies was conducted in violation of the Sindh Public Procurement Rules.

He submitted that former information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, during his tenure from June 2013 to July 2015, had illegally approved release of official advertisements in the electronic media for the awareness campaign through so-called pre-qualified advertising agencies without due competition between these advertising agencies and contracts were released to favorite agencies at exorbitant rates even without confirming the market rates.

He submitted that NAB has sufficient evidence to prove the guilt of the petitioners who were involved in causing loss to the national exchequer. He requested the court to dismiss the bail petitions of the former information minister and others as they were not entitled to any relief.

Petitioner’s counsel Amir Raza Naqvi had earlier submitted that the petitioner was falsely implicated in NAB corruption reference. He submitted that former information minister did not get any approval for the advertisements and the inquiry was initiated after he travelled abroad for medical purposes.

He submitted that TV channels had different rates for air time advertisements and the petitioner could not be charged for giving advertisements on exorbitant rates to advertisement companies adding that all payments were made as per the Sindh Public Procurement Rules and relevant laws. He submitted that federal and Punjab governments were issuing advertisements to the media but no inquiry was initiated against them by the NAB with regard to advertisement campaigns and its rates.

Advertisement companies' counsel submitted that no illegality was committed in the award of advertisements and all payments were made in accordance with the law and procurement rules. The counsel requested the court to confirm the bail petitions of the petitioners.

The SHC’s division bench headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh, for reasons to be recorded later on, dismissed the protective bail applications of former information minister Sharjeel Memon, former information secretary Zulfiqar Shalwani, and 10 co-accused in the reference.

Salis bin Perwaiz adds: The personnel of the National Accountability Bureau Sindh (NAB) on Monday arrested PPP leader Sharjeel Inam Memon with 12 others in the mega corruption scandal.

The spokesman for NAB Sindh said that NAB Karachi on Monday arrested 12 accused persons wanted in Reference No. 50/2016, consequent upon cancellation of their ad interim bails by Sindh High Court. The accused persons are charged for embezzlement of Rs5,766,479,766 purportedly paid to seven advertising agencies for awareness campaigns between 2013 and 2015.

The accused persons jointly and severally in connivance with each other have been alleged for awarding the contracts to favour certain advertising agencies and to their own favour, in violation of relevant laws and rules and against exorbitant rates. The arrested accused persons will be produced before accountability court today (Tuesday).

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