Islamabad (March 02, 2018): The accountability court hearing corruption references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family resumed its proceedings today.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Capt (retd) Safdar reappeared in the court.
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Prosecution witness Wajid Zia, former head of the Panama case Joint Investigation Team (JIT), also attended the hearing headed by Justice Muhammad Bashir.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed three interim corruption references against the Sharif family in September last year in light of the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case. The bureau recently filed supplementary references in all three cases.
Judge Muhammad Bashir is hearing the Al-Azizia and Flagship supplementary references in the first half, whereas the Avenfield properties supplementary reference was expected to be heard after 2pm.
For the first two references, the court is recording the statements of three witnesses today: Abdul Hanan, Rizwan Khan and Sunil Ijaz.
Ijaz, a bank employee, recorded his statement first after which he was cross-examined.
Witness Sunil Ijaz recorded his statements in Al-Azizia reference while defence lawyer Khawaja Harris also completed cross-examination. The witness said he is branch manager at Sharif Education Complex Trust in Lahore, adding that he had appeared in NAB on January 23, 2018.
Provided bank account details of Abdur Razzaq to NAB, he assured.
Sunil said that neither NAB asked nor he told for which purpose the money was transferred.
On the other hand, witness Abdul Hanan in Flagship Investment reference also confessed to have given details of money came from Hill Metal to NAB. I prepared system generated documents, he added.
The witness said that three staff members presented the required record to the accountability officials.
The former premier, owing to the inclement weather, did not hold a media talk.
Nawaz Sharif files another petition
Nawaz Sharif also filed a petition, demanding to record statement of Wajid Zia in all three references on the same day. Khawaja Harris said that the high court had ordered to merge the statements of one witness, continuing that it will help in defence.
Raising objections, NAB prosecutor said that Nawaz Sharif wants to delay the case due to which he is submitting such petitions.
Meanwhile, PML-N leaders Daniyal Aziz, Mussadiq Malik and Maiza Hameed were barred from entering the court due to absence of their names in the list.
Zia, the head of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) that probed the Panama Papers case, appeared in court today and was to record his statement in the Avenfield reference, which was to be taken up after 2pm.
The judge reserved his decision on the plea and is expected to announce it when the court reconvenes shortly.
In the previous hearing of the Avenfield supplementary reference, the court had completed recording the statement of forensic expert Robert Radley who admitted that the Calibri font was available in a limited scale in 2005.
On Thursday (yesterday), statements of five witnesses were recorded in the Al Azizia and Flagship references.
The corruption cases
The corruption references, filed against the Sharif family, pertain to the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment, offshore companies including Flagship Investment Ltd, and Avenfield properties of London.
Nawaz and sons Hussain and Hasan are accused in all three references whereas his daughter Maryam and son-in-law MNA Capt (retd) Safdar are accused in the Avenfield reference only.
In the Al Azizia and Flagship supplementary references, submitted in court on February 14, NAB had included eight new witnesses, as well as new evidence, including details of offshore companies of Hasan and Hussain.
The two brothers, based abroad, have been absconding since the proceedings began last year and were declared proclaimed offenders by the court.
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