Interest on liability

Petitioner availed benefit of plea bargaining and his offer as to ill-gotten gain obtained through corruption was accepted by competent authority pursuant to which petitioner deposited Rs.33,97,894 in the account of Chairman NAB and amount of Rs.466,520 as 15% interest upon total amount was outstanding against petitioner

Plea raised by petitioner was that law did not entitle NAB to claim interest upon actual amount, as assessed in investigation or mentioned in Reference

Validity

Petitioner had to deposit actual amount as per the charge and S.25 of National Accountability Ordinance, 1999, was silent about question of interest upon actual amount

Imposition of 15% as additional amount from petitioner was unjustified, and demand of such amount was illegal and without lawful authority and in violation of S.25 of National Accountability Ordinance, 1999

High Court restrained the authorities from claiming excess amount as 15% interest from petitioner and directed the authorities to return if the same had already been recovered from petitioner

Petition was allowed in circumstances.