A/C sends betel leaves smuggling cases to customs court under new NAB law

LAHORE: An accountability court in first decision under the Amended NAB Ordinance ordered transfer of 49 betel leaves smuggling references to the Customs Court, ARY News reported on Monday.

Accountability Judge Amjad Nazeer Butt after hearing arguments of the lawyers of the parties in cases decided to shift the cases to custom courts.

The court ordered all accused in cases to appear before the customs court on January 23 in hearing of their cases.

Earlier, defence counsel Muzaffar Ali in his arguments objected over the jurisdiction of the court and said that after newly amended law of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) an accountability court could not hear these cases.

He argued that under the amended law these cases should be transferred to a customs court for hearing as per clause (ii) of the new ordinance.

The accountability bureau had filed references against customs department officials, importers and clearing agents in year 2015.

It is pertinent to mention here that the NAB Amendment Ordinance was passed and came into force on December 28 last year.

The taxation cases should also be transferred to a competent authority under the new law.