KARACHI: An accountability court in Karachi has ordered a witness to produce original particulars related to the Rs462 billion corruption reference against former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain, ARY News reported on Saturday.
The court resumed the hearing of the corruption reference where Dr Asim Hussain and other accused persons were produced.
A witness, Kamran Hashmi, was also appeared in the hearing from the side of National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The court sought original particulars from the witness that ascertains the corrupt practices of Dr Asim and others in the financial irregularity. Hashmi apprised the court that he did not appear before the court with original particulars.
Later, the court adjourned the hearing till November 26 after directing Hashmi to produce original documents. The accountability court also asked NAB authorities to ensure the presence of second witness, Waqar, in the upcoming hearing.
The hearing was adjourned.
Corruption charges
An accountability court in 2017 had indicted Dr Hussain, ex-petroleum secretary Ejaz Chaudhry and others in an over Rs 460 billion corruption reference.
Dr Hussain was taken into custody on August 26, 2015, by Rangers on different corruption charges.
After 19 months, his bail plea was referred to a referee judge for final orders. The referee judge, Justice Aftab Ahmed Gorar, granted bail to the accused earlier this year.
Dr Asim faced charges of misusing his authority for getting plots allotted fraudulently and encroaching upon state land for expansion of Dr Ziauddin Hospital/Trust, money laundering, illegal gains, kickbacks, commission through fertiliser cartel for illegal curtailment of gas for exploitative price hike and defrauding people in the name of charity hospital.
