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Zardari’s acquittal plea in SGS, Contecna references rejected

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Monday rejected the acquittal plea of former President Asif Ali Zardari in the SGS and Contecna references. The court has directed the trial will begin from 8 January and has summoned prosecution witnesses.

The case was heard in the accountability court of Justice Muhammad Bashir. The former president had filed acquittal pleas in five National Accountability (NAB) references. Prior to this the court had approved Zardari’s acquittal pleas in the Polo Ground, ARY Gold and URSUS tractor references.

Filed in 1997, the SGS reference alleged that former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari had received kickbacks in a pre-shipment contract between SGS and the government. All others in the case expect Asif Ali Zardari have been absolved by the court.

The Contecna case alleges that a contract for supervising pre-shipment at the Karachi port was awarded to Swiss company Contecna in exchange for a bribe during the second tenure of Benazir Bhutto.

 

 

Courtesy www.thenews.com.pk

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