Ex-MD of PSO declared fugitive in LNG case

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court of Islamabad has declared Shahidul Islam, former managing director of the Pakistan State Oil (PSO), a proclaimed offender in a case pertaining to the LNG scam that also involved former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

The accountability judge ordered the authorities concerned to block his national identity card.

The decision to start the proceedings of proclamation of the accused was taken after a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor informed the judge that the accused had fled abroad.

The prosecutor said the accused had intentionally flown out of the country to avoid the trial proceedings.

Meanwhile, the bureau has decided to move an application in the accountability court seeking its permission to seize all moveable and immoveable assets of the former PSO MD in the country.

During the hearing on July 3,  the court had directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file a supplementary reference against Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and other accused in the LNG scam on next hearing.

The bureau’s prosecutor informed the judge that a supplementary reference is in the final phase as the anti-corruption watchdog has got its hand on some new relevant record of the LNG contracts in question, which is being examined.