Switzerland to not reopen graft cases against President Zardari

[Markhor]

http://dawn.com/2013/02/10/swiss-govt-shuts-the-door-on-zardari-case/

ISLAMABAD: The decades-old Swiss case saga has finally ended in favour of President Asif Ali Zardari after Swiss authorities informed the government that a corruption case involving him cannot be reopened in their country on legal grounds.

According to sources, the Swiss attorney general, in reply to a letter sent by the government three months back, told the law ministry that the case could not be reopened because it had become time-barred under the Swiss law.

The government had written the letter to Swiss legal authorities in the first week of November last year in line with the Supreme Court’s order in the NRO case seeking revival of the case accusing President Zardari of receiving kickbacks in the award of a pre-shipment contract to a Swiss company in 1994.

The letter, addressed to the Swiss attorney general, had been sent through the Foreign Office and Pakistan’s embassy in Switzerland.

Submitting a copy of the letter before the apex court, Law Minister Farooq Naek had said that there had been no change in the draft approved by the five-judge bench, headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, during the hearing of the NRO judgment implementation case on Oct 10.

Approving the draft presented by the minister, the court had given the government five weeks to send the letter to Swiss authorities.

Through the letter, signed by Law Secretary Justice (retd) Yasmin Abbasey, the government had sought withdrawal of a letter written by former attorney general Malik Abdul Qayyum to his Swiss counterpart Daniel Zappelli on May 22, 2008, telling him that the Pakistan government was withdrawing the mutual legal assistance in the graft case against Mr Zardari after promulgation of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) by former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf.

“This is with reference to the letter dated 22nd May, 2008, addressed by Malik Mohammad Qayyum, the then attorney general of Pakistan, to Mr Daniel Zappelli, Attorney General, Geneva, Switzerland.

“In view of the directives given by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in Paragraph 178 (copy attached as Annex-I) of its judgment dated Dec 16 December, 2009, in the case of Dr Mobashir Hasan, reported as PLD 2010 SC 265, the aforesaid letter is hereby withdrawn and may be treated as never written and, therefore, revival of requests, status and claims, is sought,” the draft approved by the SC and read out by Justice Khosa in the court while dictating the order said.

The letter had not only asked for reopening the $60 million case against the president but also emphasised at the same time the legal protection and immunity available to him, without mentioning constitutional provisions.

The NRO case that had gripped the country for over 30 months had finally come to an end when the Supreme Court approved the government’s letter – after having rejected three previous drafts – it had ordered while hearing the case about implementation of its verdict against the NRO.

 

[Gabbar Singh]

Without corrupt political leaders, fraudsters, criminals and tax evaders, Switzerland's banking sector would be on it's knees. It's not surprising then that cases like this are dropped.

 

[ElRaja]

Without corrupt political leaders, fraudsters, criminals and tax evaders, Switzerland's banking sector would be on it's knees. It's not surprising then that cases like this are dropped.

to be fair the case wasn't dropped afaik, the previous case was withdrawn by the pak govt, and you cannot reopen a case that has already been dropped.

 

[LethalSami]

We'll reopen em in Pakistan, and hang these corrupt traitors soon

+1..what Gabbar said regarding Switzerland and conflict of interest

Swiss live on that same haram money, so WAT JASTIC can you expect

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

to be fair the case wasn't dropped afaik, the previous case was withdrawn by the pak govt, and you cannot reopen a case that has already been dropped.

Well that's fair enough really. What's the point in turning the clock back after he's been voted Prime Minister of a country since the charges were first brought.

 

[Bewal Express]

Its official-Crime does Pay

Enjoy your wealth Mr Zardari
http://dawn.com/2013/02/10/swiss-govt-shuts-the-door-on-zardari-case/

 

[pakistanalltheway]

Its official-Crime does Pay

Crime pays until the day you get caught

 

[mani1]

Hasn't Zardari already served time for other crimes in the past unlike the other thief's?

 

[Zaz]

Can someone explain how a convicted thief can hold a presidential position?

 

[Bewal Express]

There is no hope for Pakistan. The population get what they deserve.

 

[Khaleefa]

I think this is the outcome of EXACTLY what Zardari and his team planned for during the saga of sacking Gillani followed by a carefully planned delay of sending the request to Swiss govt by Raja Pervaiz in order to pass the deadline of case could be opened.

 

[MenInG]

Federal Minister for Science and Techonology Fawad Chauhdhry has said that the federal government is mulling to reopen infamous Swiss accounts case dated back to 1990s against PPP leaders including co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

“Asif Zardari was acquitted in Swiss accounts case because NAB officials at that time said that they did not have original record of the case documents which was an utter lie,” Fawad said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Thursday.

He said the chairman of Broadsheet inquiry commission former apex court judge Azmat Saeed Sheikh has recovered the original record of the case.

The federal minister also said the government’s legal team is reviewing the record and subsequently, it will take a final decision regarding reopening the case.

He also accused former officials of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of deliberately misplacing the record of the case in a bid to protect the PPP leader and other accused.

Earlier in the day, the federal government made public the report of the Broadsheet commission, which holds the bureaucracy responsible for attempts to conceal the evidence.

On March 22, the one-man commission headed by Justice (retd) Sheikh Azmat completed its investigation into the payment made to the firm, revealing that the record of money transfer worth $1.5 million paid “inadvertently” to a company in 2008 was missing.

Fawad in the media briefing said the federal government has approved criminal proceedings against five persons, including former Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit, over their alleged involvement in the suspicious transaction.

Covid vaccine

On government’s strategy to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, Fawad said the price of Chinese one-dose CanSino vaccine has been fixed at Rs4,225 for commercial sale imported by the private sector.

He said the government will vaccinate 98 per cent population free of charge. “Only 2 per cent people who do not want to queue up to receive the vaccine will be vaccinated by the private sector,” he added.

However, the minister said the price of maximum sale price of Sputnik V Russian vaccine will be fixed after the court’s decision.