RAWALPINDI: An accountability court in Rawalpindi on Friday extended the physical remand of former chief of the Oil and Gas Regularity Authority (Ogra) Tauqeer Sadiq for 14 days in Ogra corruption case.
Earlier, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials presented Sadiq before Judge M. Bashir in courtroom number 1 of the accountability court on Friday and made a request seeking a 14-day physical remand of ex-Ogra chairman.
The court sanctioned the NAB request and directed the authorities to produce the Tauqeer Sadiq before it on August 16, the date for the coming hearing of the case.
Sadiq is accused of misusing authority, embezzling funds and causing Rs82 billion (approximately $850 million) losses to the national exchequer by converting operating income (regular income) into non-operating income in violation of an agreement signed with the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, relocating several CNG stations, making illegal appointments, etc.
He fled abroad soon after the Supreme Court declared his appointment as Ogra chief illegal on November 25, 2012, and ordered NAB to arrest him.
Sadiq managed to leave the country although his name was on the exit control list. He was handed over by UAE authorities to a team of NAB officials on July 8.
Two former prime ministers — Yousuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf — have been accused of being involved in the ‘illegal’ appointment of Sadiq.
DND