Fugitive oil chief brought home to face graft charges in Pak

The fugitive former chief of Pakistan's oil and gas authority was brought home from the UAE to face corruption charges in the USD 840 million scam.
Tauqir Sadiq, accused of involvement in Rs 82 billion (approximately USD 850 million) scam, was handed over to the Pakistani authorities last night, following a Supreme Court directive to bring him back to face graft charges.
Sadiq, the former chief of Pakistan Oil and Gas Regularity Authority (Ogra), was today remanded to custody for two-week by a court, hours after his deportation from the United Arab Emirates, officials said.
Sadiq pleaded innocence before an accountability court in Islamabad.

"There is still no charge-sheet against me and all charges levelled against me are baseless and concocted," he said in court.
He allegedly granted Compressed Natural Gas licenses to several "favourites" and making illegal appointments.

His actions also benefited stock market tycoons and he was also accused of involvement in gas theft.
He will be presented in court again on July 23.
Sadiq was appointed chairman of Ogra in 2009 by former prime minister Pervez Ashraf when minister of water for water and power but removed by the Supreme Court in 2011 by declaring him as not qualified to hold the post.

The Supreme Court asked anti-corruption watchdog, National Accountability Bureau (NAB), to investigate the corruption during his tenure.
Ashraf has also been accused of being involved in the his illegal appointment.
Sadiq later fled the country despite court orders to place his name on exit control list.
It is alleged that he used his links with the Pakistan People's Party government to leave the country and elude arrest despite court orders.