NAB releases copies of Swiss Order
Pakistan Times Federal Bureau Report

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday released copies of a Swiss Examining Magistrate’s order for restitution of $2.4 million to Pakistan seized from the DARGAL Accounts, asserting that it clearly establishes the involvement of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari in the corruption case.

The NAB spokesman told a briefing that there was no truth in the PPPP’s claim that the case regarding restitution of the amount from DARGAL Associated SA Accounts had nothing to do with Benazir Bhutto.

The spokesman provided to newsmen copies of the Order of Restitution passed on November 18, 2003 in the original French language as well as its translation into English.

Backdrop

The facts of the case of State vs Benazir Bhutto and nine others, provided to the media, revealed the accused persons in connivance with each other indulged in acts of corruption and corrupt practices by purchasing 5,900 Russian and Polish made Ursus Tractors at a rate of Rs 150,000 per tractor under the Awami Tractor Scheme in violation of law/regulations/ rules/procedure of the ADBP (Agriculture Development Bank Pakistan) and against the advice of the Technical Evaluation Team and decision of the meeting of ECC dated May 3, 1994.

The accused, thereby, caused loss of Rs 268.30 million to the ADBP and a loss of Rs 1.671 billion to the state exchequer on account of exemption from the customs duty and the sales tax, a brief about facts said.

Furthermore, accused Benazir Bhutto and accused Asif Ali Zardari received 7.15 per cent commission/kickback on the purchase through their front men, namely accused Jens Schlegelmilch and accused Didier Plantin of Dargal SA, who received about $196,925,095 on account of the supply of said 5,900 Ursus tractors, it concluded.

The spokesman pointed out that the names of the main accused and their proven linkages to the DARGAL Accounts appeared several times in the case in which Benazir Bhutto and nine others including Asif Ali Zardari, were accused of having collected in the course of 1990s, corruption commissions on government contracts concluded for foreign companies.

Order of Restitution

He referred to the Order of Restitution, saying it states that the file establishes beyond any doubt that these commissions under the cover of alleged "consultancy fees" were meant to remunerate the illicit advantages obtained by URSUS from the Pakistani administration thanks to the interventions of Asif Zardari.

Benazir Bhutto is the principal accused in the case while nine other included: Asif Ali Zardari, Ex MNA Yousaf Talpur, Ex-minister for Agriculture, Badruddin Zahidi, Ex-chairman, ADBP, AMH Kangu, Ex DG (Awami Tractor Scheme), ADBP, Jens Schlegelmilch, Didier Plantin, Steve Shanks, Zigniew Bzideck, Director Special Operations. Zakaldy Przemyshu Chiagnikowego, "Ursus", and Amer Lodhi.

The NAB spokesman said according to the order the documentary evidence and the statements of the persons heard allow, without any ambiguity, to link the transfers credited to the banking relationship of DARGAL to the commissions paid by URSUS for the sale of its tractors to a Pakistani governmental entity.●