BUT special court in Lahore on Saturday confirmed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz pre-arrest pledge in 16 billion rupees money laundering case registered against their Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
He ordered them to submit bail bonds of 1 million rupees each.
Court also confirmed pre-arrest pledge of other suspects in case and instructed them to post bail of Rs 200,000 each.
At a hearing earlier today, the investigator told the court that neither he nor the previous IO had filed a new report requesting that Shehbaz and Hamza be kept in custody.
This is contrary to the statement of the FIA prosecutor Farooq Bajwa, who confirmed to the court during last hearing that the agency wanted to arrest leaders.
presiding judge of Special Court (Central-I), Ijaz Hassan Awan, extended Temporary bail for Shehbaz and Hamza in case until June 11 (today) during last hearing. Both leaders appeared in court for today also.
At the beginning of hearing, the FIA submitted a report on non-collateral arrest issued warrants for three suspects, including Shehbaz son Suleman Shehbaz, Malik Maqsood and Tahir Naqvi.
The report stated that the warrants could not be executed because Suleman was not present at his address and had gone abroad. In addition, the FIA wrote a letter to the relevant agency. for examination of Maksouda deathaccording to the report.
This was stated by the FIA prosecutor Bajwa. who told the court that the agency had written to Interpol in connection with Maksoud death.
The referee then instructed the FIA to submit a verified report. He also made newspaper clipping about death part of trial.
Shahbaz appears before the court
Prime Minister Shehbaz, addressing the court, said the FIA case was like another. one registered against its National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
There are cases related to the Ashian Housing Scheme and the Ramazan Sugar Mill. against me, he said. When the judge asked Shehbaz if he had shares in these enterprises, the prime minister replied in negative.
“In the Ashiana case, it was alleged that I had abused my powers. The Lahore High Court (LHC) issued a detailed verdict. in my cases. NAB appealed to the Supreme Court for review of my bail and then boss justice asked where is the proof of there was corruption.
“NAB escaped from there,” Shehbaz said.
The prime minister told the court that he was approached by the FIA twice when he was in in NAB custody, but he told them he would not answer without consulting his lawyer.
“I told them all the facts orally. My cases have been decided on merit, and I was released. Honor it also male asset. Very serious accusations were made against to me.”
Shehbaz also said he showed up in several hearings related to the FIA case, but the agency did not provide challan (investigation report) because it is wanted “create path for arrest”.
“If I wanted do money laundering or corruption, I would take advantage of the benefits I was legally entitled to. If I wanted denigrate my face with money laundering why should I cause my loss family sugar mills [during my tenure as chief minister]?”
The prime minister said that he did not give subsidies to sugar factories, so as not to burden national treasury, adding that he protected the Punjab treasury instead of spend it.
“My sons set up factories for ethanol production, but I introduced a tax on them,” he continued. Previous PTI government It was removed this tax is added.
“I have nothing to do with sugar business. All the facts stated by the FIA are incorrect.” also scheduled programs announced during his tenure as CM, including giving out Bolan vans to the unemployed people. “We got car company for give discount of 2.5 billion rupees and benefited national coffers.
“Day of judgment will arrive but the FIA cannot prove even a rupee worth of corruption, he insisted. — I went abroad 60 times; I never took a paycheck or gas [allowance]. I did not take government Benefits.
“The FIA claims that I took 20 million rupees. in instead of of party funds, but I let go of dozens of millions.”
FIA Prosecutor’s Arguments
Meanwhile, FIA prosecutor Bajwa told the court that one of the suspects, Gulzar, made a deposit of 20 million rupees. in instead of of party funds. “These are politicians. When cases are registered against them, the evidence is gathering in this is way.”
He recalled that the court had asked the FIA if it had direct evidence. “We have two checks for 2013 and 2015 that were deposited by Gulzar.”
Bajwa argued that it could not have happened that the report of the investigation had been submitted at the time when pre-arrest the bail case was going on on. “Whatever evidence the FIA has collected, it is not unfair. We collected as much evidence as we could. Masrour Anwar and Usman were not made part of investigation.”
The court subsequently upheld its verdict. on in pre-arrest bail statements.
Fees against Shehbaz, Hamza
The FIA had in December 2021 introduced challan against Shehbaz and Hamza to special court for their alleged involvement in laundering en amount of 16 billion rupees in sugar fraud case.
“Investigation team discovered 28 Benami Accounts of Shehbaz family through which money laundering of In 2008-2018, Rs 16.3 billion was allocated. FIA checked money drag of 17,000 credit transactions,” according to the FIA report submitted to the court.
amount kept in “hidden accounts” and handed over to Shehbaz in private matter, report added.
This amount (16 billion rupees) has nothing to do with sugar business (of Shehbaz family), he said. money received from accounts of low-paid workers Shahbaz was transferred outside Pakistan via hundi/hawala networks, ultimately intended for useful use of his family members, as claimed by the FIA.
“Eleven underpaid employees of Sharif group who “held and owned” laundered proceeds on on behalf of of main defendants, found guilty of assistance money laundering. Three other co-defendants of Sharif group also actively promoted money laundering,” the agency said in a statement.
