Accountability Court Judge Muham-mad Arshad Malik on Friday again categorically rejected the allegations levelled against him by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Safdar, saying that he was offered Rs 500 million cash bribe by Sharif's son Hussain Nawaz Sharif in Saudi Arabia who demanded him formally resign on the ground that he could no longer deal with the guilt of having convicted Sharif under duress and without evidence.
The judge claimed in his affidavit, which he submitted before Islamabad High Court (IHC), that he was offered a bribe of Rs 100 million in Euros by supporters of Sharif and they also threatened him of dire consequences.
He claimed that in August 2018, Flagship and Hill Metals Establishment (HME) references were transferred for trial to his court. During the trial of both the references, he was approached on a number of occasions by associates and supporters of Nawaz Sharif with demands, inducements and threats to acquit Nawaz Sharif and the other accused in the HME and Flagship references.
He claimed that during a social sitting Nasir Janjua implored him to give verdicts of acquittal in the HME and flagship references. He said that during the argument stage of both the references, he was again approached by Nasir Janjua and Mahar Jilani.
"This time Nasir Janjua came with a financial offer quoting Mian Nawazz Sharif. I was told that Mian Sahib is willing to pay whatever I demand as long as there is an acquittal verdict in both the HME and flagship references," he said, adding that he responded he has constantly spent 56 years of his life in a 6-marla house and will decide the two references in accordance with hid oath and did not need anything.
According to him, Janjua claimed that he had the cash equivalent to Rs 100 million in Euros for him immediately available out of which the Euros equivalent to Rs 20 million were lying in his car parked outside, he said.
He said that later, after the offer of bribe, Nasir Butt threatened him and told him in an intimidating tone that he owed Mian Nawz Sharif a lot, as he had helped him avoid punishment for 4 to 5 murders committed by him by using his immense political influences and therefore he was willing to go to any extent to help Mian Sahib in the trials he was facing.
The judge said that despite these threats in the last week of December 2018, he had delivered the judgement in the HME and flagship references, convicting Sharif as charged in the former and acquitting him in the latter.
"In the middle of February 2019 I met with Khurram Yousaf and Nasir Butt. During conversation Nasir Butt asked me whether Nasir Janjua had shown me "the Multan video." I did not make an immediate connection with this statement and said I did not know what he was talking about," he further claimed.
He said that Nasir Butt then said in a sinister manner, "You will be shown the video in a few days."
"Shortly thereafter, I was visited by Mian Tariq (an old social acquaintance from when I was serving in Multan as Additional district and sessions judge from 2000 to 2003, and his son," he said and added, "Mian Tariq showed me a secretly recorded manipulated immoral video in a compromising position saying that it is you doing this when you were serving in Multan."
"This came as shock to me. After I was shown the video, Nasir Janjua and Nasir Butt started to pressurize and blackmail me to do something for Sharif," he said, adding, "Janjua suggested me that since the conviction in the HME reference had already been handed down, for the satisfaction of Sharif only he should record an audio message for him in which he (judge) should state that he had convicted him in the HME reference under immense pressure, from influential quarters, even though there was no evidence to prove the offence with which he was charged."
He said that Janjua further enticed him (judge) by assuring that the audio message would only be for the consumption and satisfaction of Sharif and that he would personally ensure that the audio recording is deleted after it was heard by Sharif.
"I denied but he insisted for repeating the sentences," he said adding that after sometime Nasir Butt visited him again and said, "In spite of your no cooperation, Janjua had recorded voice." He further said, "Sharif had heard my audio message but since he was not satisfied, he demanded that I would have to accompany him to Jati Umra and repeat my statement before him in person."
He again used the Multan video as threat. "I did accompany Nasir Butt to Jati Umra probably on April 6, 2019 where Sharif personally received us," adding that in this meeting, he explained to Sharif that the conviction in the HME reference was on merit and that there was substantial evidence against him, whereas in the flagship reference he was acquitted because of the absence of the required level of evidence.
The judge said that after meeting with Sharif, Butt said that to compensate for the debacle at the Jati Mra meeting, he wanted his assistance for the ground of appeal. He said that he had already engaged a team of lawyers who had drafted the appeal and he just wanted him to review it and give his input, which will be helpful for vindicating his position before Sharif. "I agreed to this demand in this background of the blackmailing to which I was being subjected," he said.
"Butt visited me just a few days after we returned from Jati Umra with a draft memorandum of appeal which I reluctantly reviewed and gave some observations as per his demand," he said, adding that the sitting in which he had commented upon the draft memorandum of appeal was secretly recorded as edited and manipulated excerpts from conversation from that meeting were part of the audio and video played at the press conference of Maryam Nawaz.
He said that on May 28, he proceeded to Saudi Arabia with his family to perform Umra. After Isha prayer on June 1, Nasir Butt met him outside Masjid-e-Nabvi and asked him to accompany him to meet Hussain Nawaz Sharif. "When I resisted this meeting I was again threatened with problems and embarrassment for me in Pakistan being at his one click commanded by a phone call. Husasin Nawaz offered him a cash bribe of Rs 500 million in addition to he and his entire family being relocated and settled in United Kingdom, Canada or any other country of his choice with jobs for his children and a profitable business.
"In return, he said that all I had to do was to formally resign on the ground that I could no longer deal with the guilt of having convicted Sharif under duress and without evidences," he said.
He said that he (Butt) claimed after signing such a resignation letter, he would take care of everything and that he was the only one who could protect him, again alluding to the same blackmailing.
He said when he returned to Pakistan and did not succumb to their unlawful demand, a press conference was held in which false and malicious allegations were made against him and a raft of statements were falsely attributed to him to which he had also referred in the press release.
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