SC Rejects NAB's Apology Over Suspect's Arrest From Court Premises

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Sep, 2021 ) :Supreme Court (SC) Wednesday rejected an apology tendered by the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) prosecutor general (PG) and director general (DG) over arresting a suspect from the apex court premises.

A three-member SC bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial heard the case and ordered disciplinary action against the officials involved in the incident.

During the course of proceedings, the bench also sought written reply from NAB officers on arrest of a suspect from court premises.

Justice Bandial asked who would come to the court when people be arrested at its doorstep? He said the court respect was also necessary for the rule of law. The court's doors was opened for all either an innocent or an accused, he added.

The NAB DG Rawalpindi said it had happened first time and the NAB chairman had already taken action over the matter.

The apex court on Monday had warned action against the NAB officials who had apprehended a suspect in modaraba scam within premises of the apex court.

The NAB PG sought unconditional apology for what happened in the court premises.

Justice Bandial asked why NAB expressed such urgency in arresting the suspect.

The NAB PG said the bureau employees were under pressure because there were 400,000 affected people of this scandal.

He said the suspect was involved in Rs100 billion fraud and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) had also imposed fine of Rs4 billion. It was a sensitive matter and there was a probability that the accused could flee from the country, he added.

He sought apology and said the employees had committed a mistake.

Justice Bandial said the court could not allow anyone to do that. He said no one would be allowed to arrest suspects from the court premises. If police harassed suspects at the court premises then who would reach courts for justice, he said adding the doors of the court were open for every person either innocent or culprit.

Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel said the court had observed that even after giving a call of notice, the NAB arrested suspects.

The NAB counsel said the impression of arrest on call of notice was not correct.

Advocate Latif Khosa, counsel for the accused, said it was a sensitive matter. He said his client had submitted affidavit before the court for personal appearance.

Justice Bandial said the court was hearing contempt of court case and the maximum sentence in this case was six months. He said the court did not want that to happen again.

He asked Latif Khosa that the court would hear the bail matter on merit as it was a matter of Rs100 billion.

The court extended the bail of B4U CEO Saif-ur-Rehman for two weeks against Rs2 million surety bond.

The court directed the NAB to investigate the case on solid evidence and also directed petitioner Saif-ur-Rehman to extend full cooperation to NAB. If Saif-ur-Rehman did not cooperate, the court should be informed, Justice Bandial said.

The counsel said Saif-ur-Rehman's name was already placed on the exit control list.