ISLAMABAD: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah appeared before a combined investigation team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with its investigation into the Sindh Roshan programme on Thursday.
The chief minister turned up at the NAB Rawalpindi headquarters in response to the corruption watchdog’s subpoena. He was grilled by the combined investigation team about the programme for over an hour.
He has been accused of illegally awarding contracts for purchase and distribution of solar lights in Sindh under the project.
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Speaking to media after his appearance before the probe team, Murad Ali Shah said he was summoned to explain his role in the project since he was Sindh finance minister when the scheme was launched. He added he responded to the questions put to him by the investigators.
He said he has been given no questionnaire by the probe team at present but if he is given one, he will submit his response. He denied that he appeared before the bureau because of its fear saying they won’t come under pressure even if they are summoned hundred times.
CM Murad said the scheme was launched after approval of the Sindh Assembly. He revealed that he was extremely scared to come to Islamabad due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The case is part of a multi-billion fake bank account scam involving Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur, CM Murad Ali Shah and others.
The chief minister has already appeared before the NAB team in the same case and has been summoned for the second time. He has also been named in some other NAB cases, including Nooriabad Power Project and sugar mills subsidy cases.
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Earlier, on June 2, Islamabad High Court (IHC) had rejected a bail plea of Omni Group head Anwar Majeed in fake bank account reference. The IHC division bench comprising Justice Mohsin Akhter Kiyani and Justice Lubna Saleem Pervaiz hear the petition.
During the hearing, the bench observed that the accused was not entitled to such a relief as he had not appeared before trial court since he was arrested and currently under treatment in a Karachi hospital.
