The Sindh’s excise and taxation secretary on Monday was awarded bail in yet another case pertaining to suspicious financial transactions of Rs 13.542 million.
A division bench headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar approved pre-arrest bail for Badar Jamil Mandhro against the surety bond of Rs 1 million. It issued notices to the National Accountability Bureau’s director general, investigation officer and others to submit their respective replies to the bail petition till July 23.
Mandhro, former minority affairs secretary, was ordered to be released on bail last week in a case of alleged illegal appointment of 26 officers in the minority affairs department. In a fresh petition, he submitted that although he was out on bail yet NAB officials were harassing him. He told the judges that the NAB authorities had ordered another inquiry against him for allegedly receiving high volume of funds in his accounts through cash.
Advocate Ahmed Ali Ghumro, who represented the petitioner, said the inquiry was aimed at persecuting his client as the allegations were unfounded and there was no shred of evidence to substantiate them. He said his client was ready to face the investigation but apprehends illegal arrest by NAB officials; therefore, he requested the court to grant bail to the petitioner.
Meanwhile, the same bench restrained the NAB officials from arresting Mandhro in pursuance of its investigation against him for allegedly embezzling the funds allocated for renovation, repair and reconstruction of the religious places of the minorities.
The petitioner’s counsel submitted that last week the court had awarded bail to his client in a case pertaining to misappropriation of funds and illegal appointments yet NAB officials were extending threats to him. He quoted the NAB officials as saying that the bail was awarded in illegal appointments case and it did not cover the case related to misappropriation of funds.