Sharjeel Memon, co-accused indicted in corruption case

KARACHI: Former provincial minister Sindh Sharjeel Inam Memon and other accused were indicted in a graft case pertaining to corruption of Rs 5.76 billion in the Sindh Information Department.

Ex-Information Minister Sindh Sharjeel Inam Memon, along with 11 other co-accused were indicted in corruption reference in a hearing  at an Accountability Court here on Thursday (today).

All accused denied corruption charges against them. The judge has summoned witnesses to appear before the court and record their statements.

After charges framed against the accused, the lawyer of accused Inam Akber filed objections stating that his client could not be indicted  in the case. He asked the court to hear his arguments on the matter.

The hearing later adjourned till March 03.

Memon was arrested by a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team on October 23 after the Sindh High Court (SHC) rejected his bail plea in a corruption case regarding the award of government advertisements at ‘exorbitant rates’ by abusing his powers as provincial minister of information.

Sharjeel Memon, who had returned to Pakistan in March this year after his two-year-long self-imposed exile, is facing several charges of misappropriation and corruption.

A reference filed against him related to the alleged award of government advertisements at exorbitant rates, causing loss of more than Rs five billion to the national exchequer.