ISLAMABAD: An accountability court here is to resume the hearing of the Nandipur Project Case on Monday.
On August 8, this year, the Supreme Court reopened Nandipur Power case.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a corruption reference against political top shots, including Prime Minister’s Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan and former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf regarding a delay in the Nandipur power project.
Babar Awan served as the law and justice minister during the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government, whereas Raja Pervaiz Ashraf was the minister for water and power before being elevated as the prime minister.
Other officials named in the reference include former law and justice secretary Masood Chishti, Justice (r) Riaz Kiyani, former law and justice research consultant Shamila Mahmood, former law and justice senior joint secretary Dr Riaz Mahmood and former water and power secretary Shahid Rafi.
As per details, “the Nandipur Power Project was approved by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) in December 2007 at a cost of US $329 million.”
Following the approval, a contract was signed in 2008 between Northern Power Generation Company Limited (NPGCL) and Dong Fang Electric Corporation (DEC), China.
Furthermore, two consortia i.e. COFACE for 69 million euros and SINOSURE for US $150 million were established for financing the project.
The Ministry of Water and Power approached the Law Ministry to issue the legal opinion as per schedule of agreement in July 2009, but the accused in connivance with each other and with malafide intentions repeatedly refused to issue on flimsy grounds.
Furthermore, the Water and Power Ministry failed to take any concrete measures to resolve the issue, and the matter was left pending.
Following a change in guards at the Law Ministry when Babar Awan replaced, the same legal opinion was issued in November 2011. Thus, the delay caused a huge loss to the National Exchequer for about Rs27 billion approximately.
During the investigation, it was established that the accused failed to exercise their authority and caused a huge loss to the National Exchequer. Hence, committing the Offense(s) of corruption and corrupt practice, as defined u/s 9 (a) (vi) and (xii) with Sr 5 of Schedule Offences of NAO 1999.
