The prosecution witness, on Wednesday, told the Accountability Court that he has not produced any document before it in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) case where in accused former Chairman Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) Saeed Ahmed figured in.
The prosecution witness, Abdur Rashid, Director Gas, while recording his statement before Accountability Court-II judge Muhammad Azam Khan, said that there is no document on the record produced by him where in the name of accused former chairman OGRA figured in and no document produced by him in this court, which is addressed to or authored by Ahmed, to question asked by Ahmed’s counsel Dr Aman Khan during cross examination.
At the start of the hearing, associate of Barrister Zafarrullah Khan, Counsel for accused former primer Shahid Khaqan Abbasi filed an application seeking exemption for his client which the court approved. The other accused appeared before the court.
To another question, the witness said that there are no documents exhibited by in his evidence before this court where the OGRA chairman, or its members or employees figure in. The witness said that the summary dated January 15, 2016 contain a copy of letter issued by Hamaad Sajid Pirzada, deputy executive director gas dated October 14, 2015.
When he was asked by the defence counsel that did you have the idea that you would be a prosecution witness in this case. At this, the witness said that he did not have the idea that he would be serving as witness in this reference. However, I had the idea, while appearing before the investigation officer (IO) and producing the document that the same would be part of a case and would be filed in the Accountability Court, he said.
I do not know the rules of attestation of document, the witness replied; when he was asked by the accused counsel that do you have knowledge of rules of attestation of documents.
The witness said that it is correct that infrastructure development for the LNG should be done from GIDC. The local gas is 3500 mmcfd, whereas about 11000 mmcfd LNG is imported.
I have attended meetings of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) many times, the witness said, when he was asked by the defence counsel did you attend ECC meeting.
The witness said that the ECC is normally chaired by the prime minister or the finance minister and minister and secretaries are part of it. Shahid Khaqan is the only accused in the preceding lines, he said.
The prosecution witness said that once the decision is taken by ECC ratified by the federal cabinet, even it is chaired by PM. After the approval of ECC decisions by the cabinet the same are conveyed to all and sundry for compliance and implementation, he said. He said that OGRA comprising chairman and members is an independent and autonomous regulatory authority under the provisions of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority Ordinance 2002.
Witness was confronted with one statement recorded by IO which is not having any date.
The witness denied that it is not my statement.
Copy of the said statement which I denied to be my statement comes from the file of the prosecution, he said.
He said that there were few documents which he attested before sending to NAB and some of the documents he attested at the NAB.
Counsel for accused Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam Akhlaq Awan and counsel for accused Abdullah Khaqan Abbasi, Uzair Shahif also cross-examined the witness.
To a question asked by accused Abbasi counsel said that it is correct that he has not produced any document pertaining to Abdullah and he never held any government office in any capacity and neither he has any nexus with the documents which he has produced before the court.
The court adjourned hearing of the case till May 4th.
The other accused in the case includes former finance minister Miftah Ismail, ex-managing director (MD) Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Sheikh Imranul Haque, Agha Jan Akhtar, former chairman Port Qasim Authority (PQA), in the supplementary reference.
The accused in interim reference include, Aamir Naseem, former member oil OGRA, Uzma Adil Khan, chairperson OGRA, Shahid M Islam, former MD PSO, and Abdul Samad Dawood, director Engro Corporation Limited, Hussain Dawood chairman Engro Corporation Limited, Muhammad Amin MD Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL), and Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam.
