Former DG Excise sent on physical remand in liquor licence case

LAHORE: Accountability court on Friday has handed over former director-general Excise and Taxation Akram Ashraf Gondal to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on a 10-day physical remand in liquor license case.

According to details, the ex-DG was produced before the court by anti-graft watchdog in Lahore.

At the outset of the hearing, the NAB lawyer stated that Gondal issued a liquor licence to a private hotel illegally and requested the court to hand over the accused to them on 15 days remand.

But, the court granted his 10-day physical remand and ordered the NAB to produce the accused before the court again on September 28.

Muhammad Akram Ashraf Gondal was taken into custody on Thursday in liquor licence case.

According to NAB sources, the anti-graft body apprehended Akram Ashraf Gondal on the charges of issuing a liquor licence to a private hotel illegally.

It is pertinent to mention here that the former director-general had appeared before the NAB several times but he failed to prove his innocence in the liquor licence case.

Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar and Principal Secretary have appeared in the case before NAB earlier.

Earlier on August 12, two government officials had shown their consent to become approver against Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Usman Buzdar in liquor licence case.

Former director general Excise and another person, whose name had been kept secret had filed a plea to National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to become approver against CM Usman Buzdar, sources had said.

The approvers in their initial statement had stated that they were forced to issue liquor licence to a private hotel from the chief minister house Punjab.