ISLAMABAD: The accountability court has indicted former prime minister in a third graft reference pertaining to the ownership of Flagship Companies Ltd and other offshore companies on Friday.
As the court proceedings began, the judge read out the charges against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Zafir Khan is legally representing Nawaz who is currently in London tending to his ailing wife.
A per the charge sheet, ousted premier Nawaz remained chairman of FZE Capital from 2007-14. Nawaz had earlier been disqualified by the Supreme Court over his association with the foreign company.
As per the charge-sheet, Sharif had informed the joint investigation team that he was a shareholder in 15 companies, including Flagship Investments, Hartstone Properties, Que Holdings, Quint Eaton Place 2, Quint Saloane, Quaint, Flagship Securities, Quint Gloucester Place, Quint Paddington, Flagship Developments, Alanna Services (BVI), Lankin SA (BVI), Chadron, Ansbacher, Coomber and Capital FZE, Dubai.
He had also told the JIT that his sons, Hassan and Hussain were his dependents in 1989 and 1990. However, Sharif, submitted a record of assets for Hassan from 1990-1995, the charge-sheet stated.
The charge-sheet observed that during the same time, Nawaz Sharif had held important positions in public office, including those of chief minister and prime minister.
Zafir, representing Nawaz pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charges.
Nawaz’s sons Hussain and Hasan were also accused in the case and have been declared proclaimed offenders as they have failed to show up for any of the hearings pertaining to the reference.
The court had been conducting a graft hearing of three references filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in light of the Supreme Court’s verdict on July 28 in the Panama Papers case.
The accountability court on Thursday indicted ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Captain (r) Muhammad Safdar over allegations linked to ownership of Avenfield apartments in London.
After their indictment, Maryam, Safdar and Nawaz Sharif’s pleaded not guilty.
Later on Thursday, Nawaz Sharif, who is currently in the United Kingdom, was indicted in Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment reference as well. His sons Hassan and Hussain were named as co-accused in the charge sheet.
The court proceeded with the indictment of Nawaz Sharif, Maryam and Safdar after rejecting three applications filed by the trio requesting suspension of the indictment.
In the first application, the accused sought a stay on the trial until the release of a detailed order by the Supreme Court over a review petition filed against the court’s July 28 order in the Panama Papers case.
The second application argued that the defence team was not provided with copies of statements by all witnesses and the framing of charges had not arrived.
In the third application, the suspects appealed to the court to combine the three NAB references as one, and then proceed to the stage of framing of charges.
The court, however, dismissed all the applications and proceeded with the indictment of the accused.
THE REFERENCES:
The references against the Sharif family pertain to the Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metals Establishment, their London properties and over dozen offshore companies owned by the family.
NAB’s Rawalpindi branch prepared two references regarding the Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metals Establishment, and the nearly dozen companies owned by the Sharif family.
Its Lahore branch prepared a reference on the Sharif family’s Avenfield apartments in London and another against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for owning assets beyond his known sources of income.
If convicted, the accused may face up to 14 years imprisonment and lifelong disqualification from holding public office including the freezing of bank accounts and assets.
[…] Source link […]
Comments are closed.