SC hears bail plea of Ahad Cheema in assets beyond income case

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) has adjourned the hearing of bail petition filed by former director-general (DG) Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Ahad Cheema till the next week due to ailment of the petitioner’s lawyer, ARY News reported on Monday.

The apex court heard the bail petition of Ahad Cheema in assets beyond income case.

Justice Umar Ata Bandial questioned for the period of imprisonment of the accused. The lawyer Azam Nazir Tarar told the court that Cheema spent two years and nine months in jail.

Read: Progress made in assets case against ex-DG LDA Ahad Cheema

The judge sought the complete records of the case in order to see which accused are important to be kept into custody in the relevant cases. Justice Bandial remarked that 150 witnesses are mentioned in the case but testimonies of only 40 persons were recorded.

Tarar replied that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has included more material and witnesses in the case after filing a supplementary reference. He added that who will compensate its three years if the accused is released.

Later, the SC judge adjourned the hearing till the next week due to the ailment of Cheema’s lawyer.

Read: Ashiana scam: SC grants bail to Ahad Cheema, Shahid Shafiq

According to NAB, Cheema possesses assets worth Rs 600 million and had failed to satisfy the accountability bureau regarding his sources of income.

The properties owned by the ex-DG LDA allegedly include several plots in various housing schemes in Lahore and Islamabad, agricultural lands, flats, and houses, according to the NAB. The properties were mostly registered in names of his mother, wife and other relatives.

Cheema was arrested in February over charges of misusing his authority by awarding Ashiana Housing contract worth Rs14 billion to Lahore Casa Developers, that was ineligible for the contract.