Ishaq Dar assets case: Indictment of co-accused again delayed

ISLAMABAD: The accountability court hearing the assets accumulation case against Senator Ishaq Dar once more failed to indict the co-accused named in the supplementary reference.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed an interim reference against Dar in September last year on the Supreme Court's directives in the Panama Papers case.

In a supplementary reference filed recently, NAB named National Bank of Pakistan President Saeed Ahmed, Naeem Mehmood and Mansoor Rizvi as co-accused. All three are accused of aiding Dar in opening fictitious bank accounts and transferring money abroad.

Accountability court once again adjourns assets case against Ishaq Dar

Former finance minister's three co-accused were expected to be indicted today after several deferments

As the hearing went under way today, the court dismissed the plea of the co-accused to delay indictment until tomorrow. 

The judge ordered the NAB prosecutor to submit the copy of the Islamabad High Court judgment on the plea of the co-accused challenging the accountability court's dismissal of their acquittal request by 1:30pm.

The hearing was then adjourned until 1:30pm as the court is yet to receive a copy of the high court order on the matter. 

Later, the court adjourned the hearing until tomorrow. 

At the last hearing, the proceedings were adjourned as the lawyer of the co-accused was absent. 

The former finance minister, who has been absconding in the case since October last year, has already been indicted in the case.

At a hearing of the case last Wednesday, Accountability Judge Muhammad Bashir ordered Mehmood and Rizvi to submit surety bonds worth Rs1 million each and adjourned the hearing till March 30 after Ahmed's counsel informed that he has been granted an exemption from appearance.

Additional accused in assets reference against Dar yet to be indicted

The hearing has been adjourned till March 30

The case

Dar, a close aide of Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif, is accused of possessing assets disproportionate to his declared sources of income.

NAB filed an interim reference against Dar in September last year in light of the Supreme Court's July 28, 2017, verdict in the Panama Papers case.

The recently-filed supplementary reference is based on seven volumes and includes the account details of the accused persons, with transactions amounting to $4.06 million, according to NAB's Special Prosecutor Imran Shafiq.

The three accused in the supplementary reference are identified as directors of Dar's companies.

Dar was recently re-elected to the Senate of Pakistan. He has been in London on medical grounds since October last year.