Money-laundering case: PM Shehbaz, son to be indicted on Sep 7

LAHORE: A special court (Central) would indict Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son former chief minister Punjab Hamza Shehbaz in Rs16billion money laundering case made by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on September 07.

The court on Saturday directed the prosecutor to ensure the appearance of other suspects at the next hearing also.

The court also discharged the trial proceedings to the extent of a co-suspect, Malik Maqsood Ahmad, a peon in the Ramzan Sugar Mills, who died while absconding in the United Arab Emirate. The prosecutor also submitted the death certificate of the co-suspect. He also told the court that the certificate had been verified by the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra).

The prosecutor further informed the court that the FIA obtained records of 19 bank accounts of proclaimed offender Suleman Shehbaz, younger son of PM Shehbaz, while the record of seven others were yet to be secured.

He said some records relating to immovable properties of Suleman had also been compiled by the agency. He said details of the assets owned by another proclaimed offender Tahir Naqvi were also being gathered by the investigators.

The court directed both PM Shehbaz and his son to appear before the court on the next hearing, as they skipped Saturday’s hearing.

Their counsel filed written requests for one-time exemption from personal appearance for Shehbaz Sharif as he was in Islamabad and could not travel to Lahore due to bad health.

The counsel of Hamza told the court that his client was unable to attend the proceedings due to severe backache and doctors had advised him rest, he added.

FIA prosecutor did not oppose the applications of the suspects for one-time exemption from personal appearance.

In this case, the court had already confirmed the interim pre-arrest bail of Shehbaz and Hamza.

The FIA had booked Shehbaz and his sons Hamza and Suleman in November 2020 under sections 419, 420, 468, 471, 34 and 109 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, read with Section 3/4 of Anti-Money Laundering Act.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022