Money-laundering reference: Shehbaz, son, others to be indicted again; Nusrat joins trial

LAHORE: An accountability court on Thursday adjourned proceedings to October 01 for fresh indictment of Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, his son Hamza Shehbaz and other suspects in the money laundering reference as Shehbaz's wife Nusrat joined the trial proceedings at the belated stage through a pleader.

The court directed the prosecution to supply copies of the reference to the pleader of Nusrat. Shehbaz, his son Hamza, daughter Javeria Ali and others who joined the trial had been indicted on November 11, 2020. Now the court would indict the suspects again after another suspect, Nusrat, joined the trial proceedings through a pleader.

The court also adjourned the proceedings in Ramzan Sugar Mills and Ashiana Housing Scheme for the same day. Shehbaz Shrif and his son Hamza Shabaz and his wife Nursrat Shehbaz through his pleader appeared before the court. Earlier, the special prosecutor National Accountability Bureau (NAB) also requested the court to fix all three cases on difference dates as it would cause difficulties to record the statements of the witnesses in the reference.

The court however observed that this issue would be considered on next hearing. The NAB had arrested Shehbaz Sharif on October 5, 2018, in Ashiana Housing Scheme scam when he appeared before it to join investigation in Punjab Saaf Pani corruption case.

In housing scheme scam, the bureau alleged that Shehbaz being chief minister misused his powers and got cancelled a lawfully granted contract to M/s Ch Abdul Latif & Sons, which caused a loss to national exchequer. Former head of LDA Ahad Cheema and former principal secretary to prime minister Fawad Hassan Fawad are facing trial in this case.

The NAB in Ramzan Sugar mills reference alleged that Shehbaz, being chief minister of Punjab, had issued a directive for construction of a drain in district Chiniot primarily for the use of Ramzan Sugar Mills owned by his sons. It said Rs 200 million was spent for this purpose from public money.

According to money laundering reference, illegal assets worth Rs 3.3 billion had been identified so far owned by Hamza, his brother Suleman and their father Shehbaz Sharif. In money laundering reference, total 20 persons had been nominated including four approvers - Yasir Mushtaq, Muhammad Mushtaq, Shahid Rafiq and Aftab Mahmood.

The main suspects are Shehbaz's wife Nusrat Shehbaz, his sons Hamza Shehbaz and Suleman Shehbaz (absconder), his daughters Rabia Imran and Javeria Ali. Other suspects are alleged bemanidars and business partners of the family including Nisar Ahmad, Qasim Qayum, Rashid Karamat, Masroor Anwar, Fazal Dad Abbasi and Shoaib Qamar.

The reference mainly accused Shehbaz of being beneficiary of assets held in the name of his family members and benamidars who had no sources to acquire such assets. It said the family members and benamidars of the Shehbaz's family received fake foreign remittances of billions in their personal bank accounts. The reference further said family of Shehbaz failed to justify the sources of funds used for acquisition of assets.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021