Money laundering case: Indictment of PM Shehbaz, son delayed till June 4

LAHORE: A special court (Central) on Saturday delayed the indictment of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Chief Minister Punjab Hamza Shahbaz in a money laundering case and extended their bail till June 04.

The court also expressed dissatisfaction over the report of warrant service processor who failed to serve the warrants on accused Malik Maqsood Ahmad.

The warrant processor contended before the court that the accused Malik Maqsood was not found on the given address. The court said fathers’ names and addresses of Suleman and Tahir Naqvi were also not mentioned in the warrants, so how warrants could be served on them. The court expressing dismay over the report said as to why a show cause notice should not be issued to the investigating officer. The court, therefore, asked the processor to submit his report again on next hearing.

The counsel of Shehbaz Sharif concluded his arguments on the application for confirmation of his bail. He said all the officials sources were used to make the references against Shehbaz Sharif and his family members. He said all family members and other concerned persons were investigated by the prosecution but it failed to prove the allegations levelled against them.

Commenting about the bank account, his counsel said neither Shehbaz had opened the account nor any transaction was made by him. He said the prosecution did not submit statements of the witnesses recorded under section 164 of Cr.P.C. He said the bank accounts investigated by the FIA did not belong to the people doing sugar business.

During the hearing, PM Shehbaz Sharif came to the roster and said he came in the honour of the court and added he served the province of Punjab but did not receive a single penny as salary and he always went abroad on his own expenses. He said all allegations of corruption against him are baseless and concocted.

PM Shehbaz said: “My children owned the sugar mills, a summary came to me to increase the exports and I added 2 rupees duty on it. This decision cost me and my family a loss of 2 billion.” He requested the court to allow him to go as he had to perform some official duties.

The court accordingly allowed Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shahbaz to go after their attendance was marked. The court asked the counsel of Shehbaz to submit his arguments on the bail of Hamza Shahbaz also and rose for the day.

The FIA had booked Sharif and his sons Hamza and Suleman Shehbaz in November 2020 under sections 419,420,468, 471, 34 and 109 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Anti Money Laundering Act.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022