ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday overturned an earlier judgement by suspended sessions judge Pervaizul Qadir Memon which led to the acquittal of Axact Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shoaib Shaikh and others in the fake degree case.
A two-member bench of the court comprising Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb announced the verdict on an appeal of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against the acquittal.
Justice Minallah read the short order and the division bench ordered the accused to submit fresh surety bonds in the case.
Ordering a retrial of the case, the IHC ordered the sessions judge Islamabad (West) to decide the matter after hearing all the arguments afresh.
During a hearing of the appeal last month, a law officer of the federal government had requested the IHC to order retrial of the Axact CEO and other officials of his IT company because they had been acquitted by a district and sessions judge after receiving a bribe.
Deputy Attorney General Raja Khalid Mehmood Khan had said that despite the admission of additional district and sessions judge (ADSJ) Pervaizul Qadir Memon that he had taken a bribe for issuing a favourable verdict, the judgement was still intact.
ADSJ Memon had acquitted Sheikh and others in the fake degrees case on October 31, 2016. Later the judge was sacked on February 15, 2018 due to his admission of receiving Rs5 million bribe for acquitting the accused.