ISLAMABAD: An accountability court in Islamabad deferred the indictment of former Senate deputy chairman Saleem Mandviwalla and others in Kidney Hill reference till April 14.
The accountability court’s judge Muhammad Bashir resumed the hearing of the fake bank accounts case. Mandviwalla and other accused were expected to be indicted but two suspects in the case did not appear before the court
Co-accused Nadeem Hakim submitted his plea through the counsel to the accountability court seek ing exemption from personal appearance in the hearing. Judge Muhammad Bashir remarked that the copies of the reference were provided to the accused.
Mandviwalla’s lawyer Barrister Qasim Abbasi told the court that two co-accused Nadeem Hakim and Abdul Ghani Majeed were not present in the hearing.
The judge asked the lawyer to proceed with the arguments in the case. The defence lawyer replied that he will continue with the arguments in the next hearing. Later, the court adjourned the hearing till April 14.
The NAB had filed a reference against ex-Senate Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandviwalla in an illegal land allotments case on January 13.
The anti-graft watchdog in its reference stated the accused sold government plots to Abdul Ghani Majeed, son of Omni Group chief Anwar Majeed.
According to NAB, Mandviwalla had purchased fake shares in the name of his frontman by selling the plots. NAB had also submitted a report to the court stating that former PIA managing director Ejaz Haroon also played a key role in selling illegal plots to Abdul Ghani Majeed.
The NAB had nominated Saleem Mandviwalla, Ejaz Haroon, Abdul Ghani Majeed and Tariq Mehmood as offenders in the reference.
