By: Kamran Ali Shah
PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has rejected the bail plea of an accused in the Kohistan financial scandal case.
During the hearing of the bail application for the accused, Muhammad Riaz, who was arrested in connection with the Upper Kohistan scandal, Justice Sahibzada Asadullah and Justice Dr Khurshid Iqbal presided over the case. The court ultimately rejected the bail application and ordered that the accused remain in jail.
Special Prosecutor Arbab Kaleemullah stated that the accused had accumulated billions of rupees from the Upper Kohistan scandal. Riaz, who served as a cashier at the National Bank’s Dasu branch, allegedly created dummy construction companies in his own name and in the names of unidentified individuals. The prosecutor noted that the accused issued 22 checks from the bank in the names of these construction companies.
Furthermore, the accused is seeking a voluntary return of five billion rupees. Justice Sahibzada Asadullah raised concerns during the proceedings, remarking, “Pray that this is not China; otherwise, when would the beheading have been done?” He further questioned, “Where did billions of rupees come from for a bank cashier? This is injustice.”
After the conclusion of arguments, the court dismissed the bail application.
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