SHC Grants Bail to Prime Suspect in Rs. 8.5 Billion Yellow Line Corruption Case

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has granted bail to Zameer Abbasi, the prime suspect in a Rs. 8.5 billion corruption case linked to the construction of Karachi’s BRT Yellow Line, according to reports. The court issued bail with a Rs. 10 million surety bond, ruling that the investigating agency had made significant errors in the case despite the substantial alleged financial irregularities.

Abbasi, previously the project director of the Karachi Mobility Project, was arrested in June along with others in connection with alleged financial mismanagement in the Yellow Line project, as reported by the Anti-Corruption Establishment, Sindh. The court highlighted discrepancies, including the improper following of legal procedures during the inquiry and arrest, the mismatch between charges in the case and the FIR, and the lack of competence by the CMIE&ITD in initiating the inquiry.

The court asserted that the investigating agency had conducted its work improperly, leaving several critical gaps, and permitted the authority to refer Abbasi’s case to the Interior Ministry for consideration of placing his name on the Extensive Criminal List (ECL) if deemed necessary.