ISLAMABAD: All prosecution witnesses on Friday completed recording of their statements in the Al-Azizia corruption case against former premier Nawaz Sharif.
Accountability Court-II Judge Arshad Malik heard the reference.
Nawaz’s lawyer Khawaja Haris submitted a request to exempt the former prime minister from appearing at the hearing on Friday. The court accept the request whereupon NAB investigation officer Mehboob Alam recorded his statement before the court.
Mehboob Alam has also been summoned by the court to appear for cross-examination on October 2.
The court then adjourned the hearing of the case.
A total of 22 witnesses have been presented by the anti-graft body till date. The list includes Panamagate JIT head Wajid Zia as well.
On the other hand, the hearing regarding Flagship Investment reference has been adjourned till October 1 with Wajid Zia summoned by the court.
THE TRIAL:
In September 2017, the trial against the Sharif family commenced. On July 6, after four extensions in the original six-month deadline to conclude all three cases, the court announced its verdict in the Avenfield reference.
An accountability court had sentenced Nawaz to a total of 11 years in prison and slapped a £8 million fine (Rs1.3 billion) in the corruption reference while his daughter Maryam was sentenced to eight years with a £2 million fine (Rs335 million). Additionally, Nawaz’s son-in-law Capt (r) Safdar was given a one-year sentence without any fine.
Nawaz and his sons, Hussain and Hasan, are accused in all three references whereas Maryam and Safdar were accused in the Avenfield reference only.
The two brothers, based abroad, have been absconding since the proceedings began last year and were declared proclaimed offenders by the court.
On July 10, the Supreme Court granted another six-week extension for Accountability Court-I Judge Mohammad Bashir to conclude the remaining corruption references against Nawaz and former finance minister Ishaq Dar.
On September 1, NAB challenged an IHC judgment, allowing two of its references against deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif to be transferred to another accountability court.
NAB had filed three references against members of the Sharif family in line with the Supreme Court’s order of July 28 last year.