Graft case: Zardari, Gilani indicted; Nawaz declared proclaimed offender

ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad-based accountability court on Wednesday indicted former president Asif Ali Zardari and ex-prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani in the Toshakhana (state gift repository) reference and declared former PM Nawaz Sharif a proclaimed offender over his continued absence from the proceedings.
In March, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the country’s anti-graft body, had filed a reference with the accountability court against the accused on the alleged violation of rules of the Toshakhana, arguing that it had caused a loss to the national exchequer.
The reference also named Pakistani businessman Khawaja Anwar Majid and his son Khawaja Abdul Ghani Majid.
The anti-corruption watchdog alleged that Gilani, in order to extend illegal benefits to the accused, had allowed Sharif and Zardari to keep luxury vehicles, which were gifted to them by foreign dignitaries, by relaxing the procedures governing their use.
According to NAB, the accused, through dishonest and illegal means for their personal benefit and interest, retained the gifted vehicles against a nominal payment of 15% of their total value.
Zardari has been accused of making the payments through businessman Majid and his son, for which, according to NAB, he has not provided any justification.
When the proceedings resumed, the court indicted all the four accused (Zardari, Gilani, Majid and his son) present in the court, who pleaded not guilty.
“I have never worked against the rules. I approved the summary, which was prepared as per the law,” Gilani told the court. The court responded saying that it was not talking about the merits of the case right now. “You should argue this during the trial,” judge Asghar Ali told Gilani.
The court also declared Sharif a proclaimed offender and issued a perpetual warrant for his arrest over his continuous absence from court appearance. The court directed authorities to submit details of Sharif’s properties within seven days.
After issuing the warrant, the court adjourned the hearing till September 24.