An accountability court in Lahore on Monday declared Suleman Shahbaz, son of PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, a proclaimed offender in a money laundering case against the Sharif family and issued fresh non-bailable arrest warrants against him.
Accountability court judge Ameer Mohammad Khan issued the orders on a request of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The accountability watchdog informed the court that all of Suleman’s properties have already been seized as per the court’s earlier order.
During the hearing, Advocate Hafiz Asadullah Awan on behalf of NAB contended that Suleman did not appear before the accountability watchdog despite six call-up notices.
The counsel informed the court that the NAB chairman had already issued arrest warrants for the suspect in the case. He added that Suleman had fled from the country [to avoid NAB proceedings against him].
Submitting details of Suleman’s properties, NAB informed the court that the bureau had seized the suspect’s shares amounting to Rs2 billion in 16 companies. According to the NAB report, it also seized cash worth Rs4.1 million held in three banks accounts as well as $4,000 dollars in two different bank accounts of the suspect.
In addition, NAB also seized 10 marlas agricultural land and pieces of land spread over 209 kanal owned by Suleman.
NAB alleged that assets worth Rs3.3 billion had been identified so far as illegally accumulated by Hamza Shahbaz, Suleman and their father Shehbaz. It said the whole family committed massive money laundering in the name of foreign remittances and loans.
Last year, Suleman had appeared before NAB Lahore regarding the provision of record of his family’s property.
In a notice issued to him, NAB had said: “During interrogation, Shehbaz Sharif has stated that all of his matters relevant to assets, income and expenditures are being looked after by you and you are acquainted with and in possession of such information/documents. You are requested to appear before a combined investigation team along with documents of all assets and properties”.
However, Suleman later skipped several hearings of NAB and left the country.
In May, a NAB prosecutor had said that Mohammad Mushtaq alias Cheeni, who was the manager of Ramzan Sugar Mills and had been offloaded from a PIA flight and arrested in April, had disclosed that Suleman used bank accounts opened in the names of his employees, who were either labourers or low-paid workers.
“I have been working for the two brothers since they started looking after their family’s sugar business in 2005,” Cheeni had said in his confessional statement recorded by a judicial magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC.
A copy of the suspect’s statement available with Dawn had revealed that Cheeni claimed that Hamza and Suleman used to receive foreign remittances through bank accounts of his company, Mushtaq & Co. He had no information about the senders of the payment and was just required to issue cheques of the amounts in the name of Suleman, he had added.
In august, the accountability court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants against Suleman Shahbaz in a money laundering and assets beyond means case. The arrest warrants had been issued on an appeal of NAB.
Over in Islamabad, an accountability court extended the judicial remand of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and former finance minister Miftah Ismail in the LNG terminal case until November 19.
During the hearing, Khaqan Abbasi urged the court to broadcast the proceeding on live TV.
“I want entire Pakistan to see how corrupt their representatives are,” he said sarcastically.
Abbasi, a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, also requested the court to allow him to get his surgery done from a hospital of his own choice.
He said the surgery was recommended by a medical board, adding that he would incur all the expenses himself.
The former prime minister requested the court to allow him to keep a laptop since he needs it to prepare his case.
During the proceedings, the PML-N veteran took jibes at Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, saying both the personalities are worried by the facilities he has been provided.
“I can end their worry by returning the facilities,” the former prime minister said.
On the other hand, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed a reference against former Chairman, Balochistan Development Authority (BDA) pertaining to accumulation of assets beyond known sources of income.
The reference was filed before the Accountability Court, Quetta against Anwar Saadat, former Chairman, BDA. Investigation carried out by NAB states that accused has accumulated assets worth Rs110 million in the name of his benamidars in Quetta and Karachi.
NAB had conducted raid and arrested his front man, Khadim Hussain, a couple of months back, who was later sent to prison on judicial remand.
The Accountability Court, Quetta issued notices to the accused to appear before the court on October 29.
