Gilani gets acquittal in multi-billion trade subsidy scam

KARACHI
While finding insufficient incriminating material to connect former Prime Minister and incumbent Chairman of the Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani with a multi-billion rupees trade subsidy scam in 2014, Federal Anti-Corruption Court Karachi Friday granted a judgment of acquittal to Gilani in the matter.
One and a half decades ago, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) registered a case against Gilani and a number of other accused persons under charges of financial scam in Trade Development Authority of Pakistan whereby they all pleaded not guilty during trial of the case. Finally on Friday court acquitted Gilani as prosecution failed to prove the story beyond reasonable doubt in the case.
Gilani was accused of aiding the suspects in the freight subsidy scheme as Prime Minister, allegedly causing a loss of over Rs6 billion to the national exchequer. The TDAP corruption scandal involves as many as 42 cases, with only three of them were connected to Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.
According to details, the hearing of the TDAP corruption scandal was held at the Karachi Anti-Corruption Court, where the former Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani personally appeared. The court accepted his application seeking acquittal from the case on the grounds that he had been involved in the case frivolously with ulterior motives.
Gilani appeared before the court with his counsel Advocate Farooq H. Naek saying his client has been involved in the scam with bad intentions. In his argument to supplement the content of acquittal application, Naek said there is insufficient incriminating material on the face of record against his client. Later, Judge of the Anti-Corruption Court accepted the application for acquittal and awarded verdict of acquittal to Gilani in the matter.
During the proceedings, the judge addressed Gilani saying a verdict had been reached in three cases against him to which Gilani responded affirmatively, acknowledging the decision.
At one point, the court asked Gilani which prison he would prefer – Karachi, Multan, or Islamabad. Responding to the court Gilani submitted saying he had no fear of jail, adding: “Prison is nothing new for us. If you wish, you may even sentence me to death.” His remarks prompted a smile from the presiding judge.
The court further inquired as to why he not preferred house arrest, to which Gilani submitted his ancestral home was in Multan, his family resided in Lahore whereas his Senate office was in Islamabad. When the judge pointed out that the trial was being conducted in Karachi, Gilani remarked: “Then people will say my party has a government in Sindh.” Following the completion of the trial in three cases, the court acquitted Gilani and 40 other accused individuals from the TDAP corruption case. Speaking to the media after the verdict, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has been reported saying the incumbent ruling coalition government had filed the case against him, but he held no grudges against anyone.