An accountability court Tuesday acquitted the couple accused of blackmailing the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairperson.
According to journalist Zahid Gishkori, the two suspects, namely Tayyaba Gul and Farooq Nol, were acquitted over lack of evidence.
In connection with the leaked scandalous audio-video tapes being associated with its chairman, NAB had filed a reference in an accountability court in 2019 against a gang allegedly involved in blackmailing several people, Justice (r) Javed Iqbal.
In the 630-page reference, NAB had nominated Gul, the woman seen and heard on the tapes, and her husband, Nol, as the main suspects.
According to The Express Tribune, the graft buster stated in the reference that the couple had defrauded several citizens of around Rs24.4 million.
It added that NAB had received six complaints against Gul and Nol and 36 witnesses had recorded their statements against them.
On May 23, News One had aired the purported conversation of the NAB chairman with a woman. However, it was left red-faced and had to tender a public apology after the bureau denied the story.
The NAB issued a statement, rejecting the report and saying that all such reports were baseless, contrary to facts, fabricated and part of a false propaganda.
“This is work of a group of blackmailer, who want to tarnish reputation of NAB and its chairman. Disregarding all the pressure and blackmailing, NAB has not only arrested two members of the group but also approved a reference against them,” the statement read.
The channel admitted that it had not done due diligence and therefore needed further substantiation regarding the videos. The channel management also apologised for any inconvenience caused to the NAB chairman.
NAB had said there were a total of 42 FIRs registered against members of the racket in different parts of the country.
“The group is involved in blackmailing, kidnapping for ransom, scamming and looting of billions of rupees from government servants as well as private individuals by impersonating FIA personnel and NAB has evidence in this regard,” it said.
It said the report was a tactic to escape a NAB reference through blackmailing. According to the statement, the kingpin of the group, Farooq, is currently incarcerated at Kot Lakhpat Jail.
