Court allows to attach more documents with Avenfield case

ISLAMABAD: The accountability court (AC) of Islamabad Friday accepted the NAB’s request seeking to make some fresh documents related to Offshore companies as case record in Avenfield property reference.

AC judge Muhammad Bashir announced the judgment that was earlier reserved after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB)’s Deputy Prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi and defense counsel Amjad Pervaiz concluded their arguments.

During the course of proceeding, Maryam Nawaz’s counsel Amjad Pervez argued that the witnesses in the case had already been cross-examined with regards to the registry record.

He stated that the prosecution side had mentioned several things in its application that never came under discussion before the court earlier. NAB should have submitted the same application immediately after receiving these documents on March 20, in accordance of traditional practice, he added.

Pervaiz said that the new name of witness was presented when all the witnesses had been testified.

NAB prosecutor Abbasi informed the court that NAB’s international cooperation wing had obtained additional documents related to the Avenfield and Flagship investment cases.

The documents relate to the registry record of the London flats, utility bills and council tax.

The documents were received in response to the JIT’s letter, the prosecutor said further, adding that NAB also received a response from the UK central authority.

He also claimed that the suspects attempted to conceal these documents. He requested the court to allow for presenting NAB Operations Director General Zahir Shah as a new witness.

After hearing the arguments, the court allowed to make the fresh documents as case record.