Court rejects plea bargain request in housing fraud reference

KARACHI: An accountability court dismissed petitions of two accused for plea bargain in a NAB reference in a housing fraud, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The court dismissed petition of accused Adam Khan Jokhio and Lal Mohammad in the case.

“The plea bargain could not be made without settlement with the affected people,” the court remarked in its decision.

“Those waiting for their plots since year 1992 should be given protection. The accused should settle the matter with allottees first” the court said in its verdict.

“Plea bargain will be possible only after a successful settlement with the affected people,” the court said. Fresh petitions for plea bargain could be filed after a settlement, the court said and dismissed petitions.

“The accused received money from 1100 allottees of plots in the name of a fake housing society,” the NAB said in its reference against the accused.

The accused sold the land to another builder after getting money first from the allottees of plots, according to the accountability bureau.

Existing value of the land the accused had allotted to the forgery victims has been above 3.5 billion rupees amount, the NAB said.