Ex-CM Punjab secures bail in corruption case

LAHORE: Ex- chief minister Punjab and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Friday secured bail in a case register against him under corruption charges.

Anti-Corruption Court Judge Ali Raza passed the orders and barred the officials from arresting Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi till May 11. Elahi’s counsel and prosecutor appeared before the court.

At the outset of the hearing, anti-corruption counsel submitted that during the investigation, Pervaiz Elahi was found ‘guilty’ of taking Rs120 million from an international firm as a ‘commission’.

Responding to a query of the judge on what ground Pervaiz Elahi was found guilty, the counsel replied a man named Afzal Shah recorded a statement against the PTI stalwart.

The lawyer of Punjab’s former CM rejected the charges leveled by Punjab ACE and asked the court to onfirm the bail of his client. After hearing arguments of both sides, the court granted bail to the PTI leader and observed that no one could be punished over the statement of the accused.

The anti-corruption officials registered a case against Pervaiz Elahi on a complaint of receiving Rs120 million as a ‘commission’ from an international company. The officials said that machinery of Rs3.10 billion was brought from abroad and the matters with the company were allegedly settled at 54pc commission during the tenure of Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi.

 

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