Court reserves verdict on NBP president's acquittal plea in Dar's assets case

Story by: Zulqarnain Haider

 

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Tuesday reserved its verdict on a plea of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) President Saeed Ahmed seeking his acquittal in a reference pertaining to the assets case filed against former finance minister Ishaq Dar.

Accountability Judge Muhammad Bashir reserved the verdict after hearing arguments from defence and prosecution sides. He would pronounce the decision tomorrow.

The NBP president moved an application in the court under Section 265-D of the Criminal Procedure Code seeking his acquittal for lack of evidence.

On Feb 26, the anti-graft watchdog filed a supplementary reference against Ishaq Dar in the assets case with regard to alleged accumulation of assets beyond his known sources of income.

Three suspects, including Saeed Ahmed, Mansoor Raza and Naeem Mehmood, were nominated in the reference.

The NBP president said he came to know in 2016 that as many as seven accounts were being operated in his name. His signatures were faked to open such accounts, he added.

A NAB prosecutor argued that millions of rupees were transacted into the foreign currency accounts, which were operated from 1997 to 2006.

He expressed surprise how come the NBP president was not in the know about these accounts having been opened in his name.

Meanwhile, the court said it would also decide tomorrow whether or not to frame charges against the accused named in the supplementary reference.