Investigation in Avenfield apartments case still underway

Four months after three interim references were filed, NAB yet to complete investigation in accountability court

ISLAMABAD: A National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecution team filed supplementary reference against the Sharif family in the Avenfield Apartments case on Tuesday, stating that the criminal role of some key accused is being determined.

In the reference, filed against ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his sons Hussain and Hasan Nawaz, daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Captain [retd] Safdar Awan, NAB Chairman Justice [retd] Javed Iqbal states that investigation to the extent of the criminal roles of Musa Ghani, Saeed Ahmed, Javed Kayani and Tariq Shafi” in aiding and abetting the accused is under progress.

NAB informed the court that information in regards to Mutual Legal Assistance to foreign countries is awaited and the bureau would file a second reference as and when needed by making MLA part of it.

Two prosecution witnesses, Ghulam Mustafa and Uzair Rehan, recorded their statement before the court. The NAB prosecution team requested court to summon new witnesses in the next hearing to which the defence counsel, Khawaja Haris and Amjad Pervaiz, raised objections stating that the court cannot summon without first examining the sustainability of the supplementary reference.

The court has been adjourned until January 30 when the defense counsel will present its arguments.

The Sharif family is standing trial on the basis of interim references since September 2017. In a recent hearing it emerged that NAB has yet to submit original or certified copies of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT)’s report – the trial is being conducted on the basis of unattested photocopies.

It has been established in the foregoing facts and evidence collected thus far that Nawaz, a public office holder, could not reasonably account for the properties bought beyond his known source of income. NAB has maintained that the Sharif family has given false information and fabricated evidence during investigation before JIT and proceedings in the Supreme Court.

The bureau added that the contradictory stances taken by the accused persons expose their failure to prove money trail for the acquisition and purchase of properties. In addition, the top anti-graft body stated that stances were found to be bogus and unsubstantiated from the material collected during the course of investigation.

NAB also noted that the affidavits of Tariq Shafi submitted on November 12, 2016 and January 20, 2017 by Maryam, Hussain and Hasan Nawaz during investigation gave false information and fabricated evidence – implying that the accused consciously and deliberately misled the investigation pending against them and the Supreme Court. The reference said that it also prevented the JIT from digging out the truth regarding means used to acquire case properties.

Surprisingly, NAB admitted in the reference that consequences of giving false information and submitting fabricated and false documents by the accused persons shall be determined by accountability court after conclusion of the present reference.

Previously, NAB in its reference against the former finance minister Ishaq Dar, said that it has yet to determine role of the Saeed Ahmed over his alleged involvement in “aiding and abetting” Dar for a 91 times’ increase in his assets within a short span. “Investigation to the extent of the roles of Saeed Ahmed or any other person in aiding and abetting the accused in the acquisition of the stated properties is under progress,” NAB stated in its reference against Dar.

The anti-graft body has filed the reference with the registrar of the accountability court for scrutiny and listed seven new witnesses, including the head of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT)’s head Wajid Zia, two foreigners and two officials of the ministry of information, against the Sharif family.