The Lahore High Court (LHC) dismissed bail petitions by Hamesh Khan and Sheikh Afzal involved in Punjab
Bank loan scam of Rs 9 billion on Tuesday.
The bench comprising LHC Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry and Justice Mazhar Iqbal Sidhu rejected the applications after hearing detailed arguments of both the parties.
Maqsooma Bukhari, counsel for Bank of Punjab, opposed the bail of both the accused contending that the accused had been declared guilty in a report presented before the Supreme Court by an independent committee. Mian Bashir, counsel for NAB, also opposed the bail saying that loans were issued to Harris Steel Mill on bogus documents. They said the accused forged documents and ID cards, which were recovered from their houses during raids, to issue loans and caused a loss to the bank.
On the other hand, Mehmood A Sheikh, counsel for ex-Punjab bank president Hamesh, pleaded that Hamesh was innocent and the bogus loans were not issued in Hamesh’s presence, as he had left the country on receiving life threats from certain quarters when he was on interim bail and raids were still being conducted at his house to arrest him. He told that court that Hamesh suspended seven people including a general manager and referred the matter to NAB when he came to know about the fraud.
Ahmad Owais, counsel for Sheikh Afzal, requested the court to grant bail to the accused contending that Afzal was not associated with Harris Steel Mill when the loans were sanctioned.
After hearing the arguments, the bench dismissed the applications observing how the court could release such a person who left the country despite the fact that his name was included in the Exit Control List.
Hamesh has been accused of sanctioning Rs 9 billion to Harris Steel Mills against rules and regulations. Hamesh had filed the bail petition second time as earlier his counsel had withdrawn the petition on the plea that it would be filed later on with some amendments.
