Karachi; The Anti-Corruption Court (ACC) in Karachi has acquitted Senate Chairman and former Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gillani in nine cases linked to the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) mega corruption scandal. Gillani, along with other co-accused, appeared before the court to hear the verdict.
Announcing its decision, the court cleared Gillani of all charges in these nine cases, adding to his earlier acquittals. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had originally filed a total of 26 cases in connection with the TDAP scam. With this latest judgment, Gillani has now been acquitted in 12 of these cases, including three previous ones.
The investigations into the scandal, which centered around alleged embezzlement under the freight subsidy scheme through fake companies, began back in 2009. The FIA started formally registering cases in 2013, and by 2015, Yusuf Raza Gillani was named an accused in the final challan. The total corruption under scrutiny was estimated at around Rs 7 billion.
Speaking to reporters after his court appearance, Gillani noted that the Pakistan Peoples Party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) had earlier resolved not to become part of the federal government. He added that any future decision on this matter would again be determined by the party’s CEC.
Gillani’s acquittal marks a significant development in the long-running TDAP corruption saga, which has seen numerous high-profile political figures and bureaucrats facing charges over the years.
