Regarding an alleged case of violations in the Jhelum to Pind Dadan Khan dual highway project, former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry was placed under physical detention for six days on Saturday by an accountability court in Islamabad.
Judge Muhammad Bashir chaired the hearing, which was attended by Fawad’s attorney, Faisal Fareed Chaudhry, NAB prosecutor Irfan Bhola, investigating officer (IO) Sohail Arif, and others.
A 14-day remand was requested during the previous hearing, but only 10 days were granted, according to the NAB prosecutor. According to him, Fawad is being questioned and will soon be providing information on the matter.
He further mentioned that on January 2, the project’s contractor was called in.
The hearing was then postponed until January 5 by the court.
In a corruption case, the court had already given NAB a 10-day physical remand of Fawad on December 20. He was brought before Judge Bashir by NAB representatives who had taken custody of him from Adiala Jail, where he was being held.
The NAB prosecutor informed the court that although the project’s investigation was launched on November 10, 2023, Fawad declined to be a part of it.
He added that Fawad “abused his influence” as a federal minister to get the project’s PC-1 ready. Additionally, the prosecution charged Fawad with receiving a commission from the project’s contractor.
In order to finish the investigation, he asked the court to allow the physical remand of Fawad to the anti-graft body for a period of fourteen days.
But the judge only gave them ten days.
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