NAB urges court to seize Hassan and Hussain’s properties

ISLAMABAD: As the 30-day deadline given to Hussain and Hassan Nawaz to appear before the accountability court hearing corruption cases against them expired on Nov 10, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday requested the accountability court to seize the properties of the scions of the Sharif family.

The NAB deputy prosecutor general (DPG) informed the judge that the accountability watchdog’s team had tried its best to get the two accused to present themselves for the court hearings but they continued to remain absent from the court. The DPG also informed the court that notices had been dispatched to the accused through the Foreign Office to the Avenfield residence of the Sharifs in London.

 Moreover, the NAB team also presented details of four bank accounts possessed by Hussain Nawaz in the court. The court was apprised that Hussain has four accounts in a local bank. “One account holds $3,992, the second holds 4,272 euros, the third has 207.53 pounds while the fourth has Rs382,381 in it,” the report said..

The prosecution team also informed the court that the brothers possess no property in areas operated by the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and Defence Housing Authority (DHA). They further informed that a reply is yet to be received from Bahria Town and the Lahore deputy commissioner.

In addition, the statements of investigation officers Mohammad Kamran in the Flagship Reference, Mehboob Alam in the Al Azizia reference and Imran Dogar in the Avenfield reference were also recorded by the court during Tuesday’s proceedings.

Subsequently, the court hearing was adjourned until Wednesday.

Hassan and Hussain, who are both based outside the country, are accused in all three graft references ordered by the Supreme Court in its July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case.

At the hearing of the references on Oct 9, Judge Muhammad Bashir had accepted NAB’s plea to declare Hussain and Hassan proclaimed offenders and separated their proceedings in the three references filed against them.

Earlier, the judge had directed for initiating the process of declaring them proclaimed offenders.

This involved publication of notices in newspapers directing the accused to appear in court. Failure to do so would result in seizure of property and issuance of further warrants.

On Oct 12, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had posted the court’s proclamation order on the main gate of the Sharif family’s residences in Jati Umra and Model Town, Lahore.