Ex-PM Gilani, others to be indicted in corruption case on July 2

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Tuesday set July 2 for indictment of PPP leader and former prime minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and other accused in a case pertaining to the alleged illegal award of government advertisement contracts.

Accountability Judge Muhammad Arshad Malik directed all the accused, including the PPP leader, to ensure their presence on the next hearing for the purpose.

The former prime minister and six others have been accused in the reference. They all have been provided copies of the reference.

At a previous hearing, Gilani was given permanent exemption from attending hearings of the case.

The Supreme Court in its order had asked the accountability court to conduct hearings of the case on a daily basis in order to decide it within the stipulated time.

According to the NAB reference, Gilani in 2011, as minister of IT, in collusion with the ministry’s then secretary Farooq Awan and others awarded advertisement contracts illegally, thus causing a loss to national exchequer.