Four more witnesses record statement in graft trial against Sharif family

• Nawaz says ready to face new movement against him from Jan 17

ISLAMABAD: Four more witnesses on Tuesday recorded statements before an accountability court in Islamabad hearing into National Accountability Bureau (NAB) references against ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Sharif family.

Four witnesses, including Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) Joint Registrar Sidra Mansoor, recorded their statements recorded their statements before Accountability Court-I Judge Mohammad Bashir. Witnesses were also questioned by the Nawaz’s attorney, Advocate Khawaja Harris.

As the proceedings went underway, the court began recording the statement of Sidra Mansoor, a senior official of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, in the Al Azizia reference.

Testifying before the court, Mansoor presented details of shares owned by Hussain Nawaz, the former premier’s son, in Mehran Ramzan Textile Mills Ltd. She said that according to documents submitted to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Hussain used to own 487,400 shares in the mills.

She added that on March 27, 2001, the shares had been transferred to the Sharif trust as a gift. Mansoor said that on March 28, 2008, Hussain was the owner of 100,000 shares in the textile mills.

After recording her statement, Mansoor was cross-examined by Nawaz’s counsel Khawaja Harris.

Advocate Khawaja Harris told the witness that the current investigation pertains to the Al Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment, adding that the documents she presented were related to a different organisation.

The witness told the lawyer that she is not aware of the availability of records regarding Al Azizia Steel Mills or Hill Metal Establishment at SECP.

Mansoor added that NAB’s investigating officer, before whom she had recorded her statement in August last year, had also not asked her about those records.

Recording his statement before the court, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Inland Revenue Department officer Tasneem Khan presented the income and wealth tax records of Nawaz and his children.

Mohammad Zubair, an officer associated with a private bank, presented bank account details of Nawaz and his sons.

NAB assistant director, too, recorded his statement before the court. A fifth prosecution witness, Umar Gondal, was expected to record his statement, as well, but was not present in the courtroom due to ill health.

Maryam’s lawyer was displeased with the witness’s failure to inform the court of his absence and said that Gondal should present a medical certificate from a public hospital.

The hearing was then adjourned until January 16, when Gondal and two more prosecution witnesses — Mohammad Junejo and Afaq Ahmad — have been summoned to record their statements.

Earlier, Nawaz, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law MNA Capt (retd) Safdar reached the accountability court amid strict security measures.

UNFAZED BY PAT’S AGITATION THREAT:

Speaking to media representatives after the hearing, Nawaz Sharif complained that what was happening in the accountability court was not being reported as it was.

Responding to a question regarding Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Dr Tahirul Qadri’s countrywide agitation campaign starting from January 17, he said for the past four and a half years, the PML-N government had been witnessing such movements and that it was quite normal now for him and his party to face them.

Commenting on the news of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman (PTI) Imran Khan third wedding, Nawaz said that the PTI chairman was hiding while slandering the image of an innocent woman and her family.

NAB REFERENCES: 

A five-member bench of the Supreme Court on July 28 had directed NAB to file references against Nawaz and his children in six weeks in the accountability court and directed the trial court to decide the references within six months.

The cases pertain to the Al-Azizia Steel Mills, offshore companies including Flagship Investment Ltd, and London’s Avenfield properties.

The Supreme Court also assigned Justice Ijazul Ahsan a supervisory role to monitor the progress of the accountability court proceedings.

The former premier and his sons, Hassan and Hussain, have been named in all three NAB references, while Maryam and husband Safdar have been named only in the Avenfield reference.

To-date, 18 hearings of the Avenfield case, 19 of the Flagship case and 22 of the Al Azizia case have been held.

This is Nawaz’s 12th, Maryam’s 14th and will be Safdar’s 16th appearance in the accountability court.