ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday directed the Central Power Generation Company Limited (CPGCL) to pay back an amount of over $21 million along with the mark-up it received in advance for setting up Guddu and Naudero-II power plants and inform the court by today (Wednesday).
The three-member bench, comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday, was hearing a suo motu case into the alleged corruption in rental power projects (RPPs).
During the hearing, the court observed that Iqbal Z Ahmed’s company was involved in both projects. Shahid Hamid, counsel for Walters Power Company which was involved in Naudero power project, told the court that if there were doubts regarding the advance payment on the Naudero power project, it would result in major losses as a foreign company had been investing in the power sector.
The chief justice said, “What has been revealed by WikiLeaks has brought bad name to the country.” He observed that there was no prestige in surrender. “The real prestige lies in announcing judgements in the interest of the nation and the country,” the chief justice added. He said, “Let your institutions be strengthened day by day.”
“We are the custodians of public interest,” Justice Ramday remarked. “The court wants that public money should be returned,” he said. Pervez Hassan, counsel for the Central Power Generation Company involved in Guddu power generation project, informed the court that the Guddu Power Project was suspended as the government was not cooperating with the company. “The required land and gas was not provided for the project, which led to the transfer the machinery to Naudero”.
He said the matters pertaining to the suspension of the project were in the pipeline for the past year. He said the company had paid back Rs 40 million of the total Rs 70 million it had received for the project in advance. He said the remaining Rs 30 million would be paid back until December 11.
To a court query, it was revealed that machinery had been transferred prior to the suspension of the Guddu Power Plant and the advance payment was again received by the company. The court adjourned the hearing until today (Wednesday).
