Names of Zardari, Nusrat removed from Cotecna reference
By ANIWednesday, January 12, 2011
RAWALPINDI - A Rawalpindi accountability court has removed the names of President Asif Ali Zardari and his mother-in-law Begum Nusrat Bhutto from the Cotecna reference.
According to the Daily Times, Accountability court No 3 judge Najamul Hassan ordered the removal of Zardari’s name from the reference as he enjoys immunity under the Pakistan Constitution. Nusrat Bhutto’s name was removed from the case on medical grounds.
The court, however, indicted former Central Board of Revenue (CBR) chairman AR Siddiqui in the case and adjourned the hearing of the case for January 20.
The reference, filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), alleged that former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and President Zardari took six percent of the total revenue of pre-shipment for awarding a contract to Cotecna.
The reference alleged that they received 11.8 million dollars in kickbacks for the 131 million dollars contract to supervise Pakistan’s customs service.
The commission was paid to an offshore company allegedly owned by Asif Zardari. (ANI)
