An accountability court on Friday adjourned the hearing of a corruption reference against former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain and others following the absence of the investigation officer (IO).
The accountability court conducted the hearing of a corruption reference against ex-petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain and other accused. The investigation officer (IO) did not appear in the hearing due to ailment. The court directed IO to ensure his presence in the next hearing.
The hearing was adjourned till April 12. The lawyers will cross-examine the statement of the investigation officer on the next hearing.
An accountability court in 2017 had indicted Dr Hussain, ex-petroleum secretary Ejaz Chaudhry and others in an over Rs460 billion corruption reference. Dr Hussain was taken into custody on August 26, 2015, by Rangers on different corruption charges.
After 19 months, his bail plea was referred to a referee judge for final orders. The referee judge, Justice Aftab Ahmed Gorar, granted bail to the accused earlier this year.
Dr Asim faced charges of misusing his authority for getting plots allotted fraudulently and encroaching upon state land for expansion of Dr Ziauddin Hospital/Trust, money laundering, illegal gains, kickbacks, commission through fertiliser cartel for illegal curtailment of gas for exploitative price hike and defrauding people in the name of charity hospital.
