NAB prosecutor tells IHC: 190m pounds came from UK in three instalments

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that UK pound 190 million came from the United Kingdom in three installments.

A division bench of Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, on Monday, heard Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s bail plea in the UK Pound 190 million case.

During the hearing, NAB Prosecutor Amjad Pervez said that an amount of UK Pound 171.15 million came to Pakistan in three installments from the United Kingdom. He said that on November 19, 2019, the first installment of money from the United Kingdom came to the account of the Supreme Court and until then, the approval of the federal cabinet was not even obtained while on December 3, 2019, the cabinet gave approval of it when the second installment of money came into the account on the same day.

The prosecutor argued that on November 6, 2019, a confidential deed was signed between Malik Riaz and NCA and the deed was also signed by Special Assistant to Prime Minister Mirza Shahzad Akbar as the representative of the government of Pakistan and it was written in the agreement that the settlement between Malik Riaz and NCA would be kept confidential.

At that, the chief justice asked why the government of Pakistan was giving an undertaking that this agreement would be kept secret. He also asked what was in the secret deed. He added in the deed, the government of Pakistan is saying that will it keep the agreement between Malik Riaz and NCA secret. The NAB prosecutor said that yes, that is right. The judge inquired why the government of Pakistan was giving this affidavit. He also said this is not a deed but a declaration of confidentiality by the Government of Pakistan.

Justice Jahangiri asked where is it written that this money would come to the account of the Supreme Court. He further asked the PG to tell from the secret deed that is there anything in the deed that says the money would come into this account. PTI lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa said they had not attached the agreement between NCA and Bahria Town.

Then, the IHC CJ asked what is illegal in the approval of the federal cabinet. Khosa said money belonged to Malik Riaz and it had to go to him.

Amjad Pervez contended that the Supreme Court imposed a fine of Rs460 billion on Bahria Town, while the money of Malik Riaz was frozen in the UK and the National Crime Agency put a condition that the money would not be sent without the assurance of the government of Pakistan.

The NAB prosecutor said that the statements of three cabinet members including Zubaida Jalal, Nadeem Afzal, and Parvez Khattak have been attached.

Justice Tariq Mehmood questioned was there any law that the cabinet could give approval to a document without opening the envelope. He added that the cabinet members have taken an oath that they cannot do anything that is against the interest of Pakistan and if the government will make any agreement then it will take approval from the Law and Justice Division.

Pervez contended that the confidential deed was signed without informing the Law and Justice Division and that a meeting of the federal cabinet was in-camera in which additional agenda items were approved. The bench deferred the hearing until today (Tuesday).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024