An accountability court on Monday rejected the bail pleas of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi in the new Toshakhana case, which accuses them of misusing power to acquire state gifts.
Announcing the verdict at Adiala Jail, where both accused are incarcerated, Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand accepted the prosecutor’s request to deny the couple bail.
During the hearing, the prosecutor for the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) argued the suspects had received a Bulgari jewelry set from Saudi Arabia, details of which had been obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “According to the records, both items are valued at Rs. 71.5 million,” claimed the prosecutor, adding the couple had gotten a private firm to value it at just Rs. 5.8 million.
Requesting a denial of bail, the prosecutor alleged the suspects had failed to submit the Bulgari set to the Toshakhana, which stores gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries. Under the rules, gifts can be retained upon payment of 50 percent of their market value. The case against the couple alleges they cost the national exchequer millions by undervaluing the jewelry.
The couple’s counsel, Salman Safdar, however, argued that new Toshakhana case was similar to the previous one, noting it had concluded with the Supreme Court’s restoration of amendments to NAB laws. He maintained the duo could not be tried twice for the same matter.
The bail denial comes just two days before the couple faces indictment in the case, set for Oct. 2, following its transfer to the FIA after the NAB amendments made it ineligible to proceed against for the anti-graft watchdog.