ISLAMABAD – The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) yesterday filed a reference in the Accountability Court against former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra in the Toshakhana case for acquiring state gifts from the state gifts depository (Toshakhana) by undervalue invoicing.
The NAB Rawalpindi, acting on the allegations of graft, has named only two accused in the reference – Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi.
This development comes after the accountability court on Saturday last had rejected NAB’s request for an extended physical remand of Khan in the Toshakhana case. The court, dismissing the bureau’s plea, declared a 21-day judicial remand for the former PTI chairman. The hearing was adjourned until January 6. According to sources privy to the reference, Imran and Buhsra have retained 58 gifts out of total 108 gifts secured against undervalued amount of Rs140 million approximately.
They said that the accused also received a Graff jewellery set from Crown Prince of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which was reported in the Toshakhana of Cabinet Division by Deputy Military Secretary in 2020 but was not deposited in accordance to the procedure for the true and transparent assessment. The assessment of Graff jewellery set was taken from a private appraiser Sohaib Abbasi who has become witness in the case. The amount paid for the gift was Rs9 million on the basis of undervalue price assessment of Rs18,092,000. Despite repeated requests from the NAB for the return of these gifts, especially the jewelry items, Bushra has allegedly failed to comply. In response, the NAB directed her to appear at the NAB Rawalpindi office on December 11 and bring the specified ornaments with her. Subsequently, Bushra obtained bail until December 13 in this case from the accountability court in Islamabad. After scrutiny from the registrar office, the court will initiate proceedings in the reference. The reference was filed by NAB Prosecutor Sohail Arif, Investigation Officer Moshin Haroon and Case Officer Waqar ul Ahsan after getting it approved from NAB Chairman Lt Gen (Retd) Nazeer Ahmed Butt. Meanwhile, in another development, Imran Khan challenged his indictment in the cipher case and the entire proceedings by the special court — established under the Official Secrets Act — in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). On December 12, the special court indicted the former prime minister — who was removed from power via a no-confidence vote last year — in the diplomatic cable case. In his fresh petition, the PTI supremo said: “The learned trial court, while deciding the matter discussed in the petition, did not look into the true perspective of the facts and law which makes the impugned order and proceedings since 23/11/23 illegitimate/not-maintainable in the eye of law and liable to be set aside for the proper dispensation of justice.” He pleaded with the court to declare the December 12 order of the special court null and void. “[…] It is graciously prayed that the petition in hand may very kindly be accepted while setting aside/declaring illegal, the order dated 12.12.23 by the learned trial court illegally while disobeying the law and legislature and preferred the wishes and whims of prosecution respectively in the interest of justice.”
Source: nation.com.pk