KARACHI: An accountability court on Monday remanded Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani in judicial custody in a reference pertaining to allegedly possessing Rs1.61 billion unlawful assets.

On Oct 13, Speaker Durrani had purportedly disappeared from the scene after the Sindh High Court had recalled bail granted to him and 10 co-accused in the present case.

On Monday, the investigating officer produced Mr Durrani before Judge Dr Sher Bano Karim of the Accountability Court-III.

Special Public Prosecutor Zahid Hussain Baladi informed the court that he was taken into custody outside the Supreme Court, which while hearing his application for pre-arrest bail on Dec 3 had asked him to first surrender to the trial court to pursue the case.

On the other hand, defence counsel Amir Raza Naqvi submitted that his client had himself surrendered before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in compliance with the directives of the apex court, where his bail plea was still pending decision.

The prosecutor said that his physical remand in NAB custody for interrogation was not required and requested the court to send him to prison on judicial remand.

The judge remanded the speaker in judicial custody till Dec 23 and adjourned the hearing.

Previously, the court had been issuing warrant for his arrest after the prosecutor alleged that the speaker had absconded away after the SHC when it recalled his interim pre-arrest bail.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2021