Sharif calls Wajid Zia’s credibility into question

Says JIT head wants to implicate his family even through lies; responds to 123 out of the 128 questions


News Desk May 22, 2018
Former PM Nawaz Sharif with his daughter Maryam outside an accountability court in Islamabad. PHOTO: FILE

 

Deposed premier Nawaz Sharif has challenged credibility of Wajid Zia – head of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) that probed into his family’s offshore properties in view of apex court’s order – saying Zia is not a credible witness, who is willing to commit perjury for implicating Sharif family in some wrongdoing.

Sharif said this on Tuesday as he responded to 123 out of the 128 questions that were prepared by a trial court in connection with the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) reference pertaining to his family’s Avenfield Apartments in London.

The former premier stood before Judge Muhammad Bashir for almost four hours. At one point, he leaned against witness box after standing on his feet for more than a couple of hours. On several occasions, he looked tired and rested his hands and elbows on the rostrum.

Talking with reference to Zia, Sharif said the JIT made no serious effort to record statement of the Qatari prince, who was ready to provide money trail for is family’s London flats, despite his willingness to participate in the probe.

He said Zia is manifesting his ingrained bias and inveterate hostility towards him in deposing that it was on his instigation and persuasion that the Qatari Royal did not join investigation.

“There is not an iota of evidence on record to support this mischievously false allegation,” Sharif said. He once again disassociated himself from the Avenfield Apartments.

He said Zia and the JIT members deliberately and maliciously manoeuvered not to examine Qatari royal, adding the JIT had decided not to issue any questionnaire to any of the witnesses but Zia admitted during cross examination that a questionnaire was sent to Jeremy Freeman in the UK.

About the question pertaining to Gulf Steel Mills established by late Mian Sharif in 1974 and ran by Tariq Shafi, 75 per cent shares’ sale in 1978 and the remaining 25 per cent in 1980, investment of 12 million AED with Qatari Royal family, who purchased Avenfield properties through Nielson and Nescoll and the final settlement in 2006 with Qatari royal, Sharif said except for being present at the time of inauguration of the Dubai Steel Mills, he has no personal knowledge of any of the events and transactions.

Will not rest until vote gets respect, says Sharif

He said he has seen the agreements of 1978 and 1980 but never participated in any events or transactions encapsulated in the agreements.

To the question regarding a copy worksheet giving details of the settlement with Qatari Royals, Sharif admitted that Qatari’s letter and worksheet being a matter of record.

He, however, added that he was never associated with or involved in any transaction pertaining to any matter related to Qatar or preparation of the worksheet.

“Record clearly shows that the Qatari Prince had never avoided joining proceedings of the JIT, rather he had throughout shown his willingness to do so, albeit in his Palace in Qatar rather than in Pakistan or in Pakistan’s Embassy in Qatar,” Sharif informed the court.

Nawaz Sharif questions JIT members' ‘impartiality’

The former PM said Qatari prince ‘confirmed the veracity of the contents of the two letters’ submitted before the SC. To a question asking him to justify acquisition of properties in early 1990s when his children did not have income, he said Avenfield properties were not purchased in early 1990s and Maryam is not the owner thereof.

He said the properties were not purchased by Hussain and Hassan in early 1990s. When the court asked what he has to say about his sons who are absconding in the case, Sharif said both of them are sui juris [independent] and fully answerable for their own acts of omission and commission.

Sharif said his version on the London properties in not contradicted by any response from government of British Virgin Islands (BVI), certificate from the office of the attorney general of the BVI, forensic report of Radley, MLA responses from UAE, or response collected from JAFZA authorities.

To the allegation that he owned and possessed Avenfield Properties, Sharif said the inference so drawn by the investigation officer, Muhammad Imran, is neither supported by any evidence nor otherwise admissible under any provision of law.

“There is not a single document or witness produced or referred to by PW- 1 8 [Imran] in his deposition to show that I was the real or beneficial owner of the Avenfield Properties, or that any of my children were holding this property as my benamidars,” Sharif said.

About the JIT hiring Quist Solicitor’s services, Sharif said the Quist Solicitor’s Akhtar Raja is a cousin of Wajid Zia and his bare statement is significant to show his extreme bias and hostility towards the accused in this case.

He said Jeremy Freeman while confirming the execution and witnessing of the two declarations of trust in relation to Coomber Group Inc and the second relating to shares in Nescoll and Nielson had specifically stated that he had retained a copy of each declaration of trust in his office but neither Akhtar Raja nor the investigating officer made any effort to obtain these copies from him.

To the question regarding Akhtar Raja giving copies of two trust declarations – Nielson & Nescoll and Coomber – to Robert Radley whereupon Radley made his report of July 4, 2017, Sharif said it is correct.

However, evidence discloses that Raja sent photocopies of the trust deeds via email of which the first page was interchanged in the copy earlier filed before the Supreme Court.

Raja should have known that there is no concept of forensic examination of documents of which only photocopies are available, adding that complicity of Radley too is evident from the fact that he instead of regretting carrying out any forensic examination of photocopies of documents sent via email, proceeded to go ahead with a report which essentially involved no expertise.

Sharif said a meeting was arranged between a three-member NAB team and Radley for over a couple of hours exclusively on the question of Calibri font a day prior to Radley’s deposition via video link.

He said he had no concern with nor any personal knowledge of any compromise effected between Hudabiya Paper Mills and Al-Towfeeq Company. To the question about declaration of trust deeds between Maryam and Hussain Nawaz, Sharif said he has never been involved in or associated with the preparation, drawing or execution of the declaration of the trust deeds.

On Zia producing letter of Financial Investigation Agency from Mossack Fonseca relating to Nescoll and Nielson, Sharif said the documents do not relate to him and they are not admissible being photocopies of an attested copy which too was attestation of a photocopy.

To a similar question, he said it is not the primary document or certified as per the law.

About an affidavit of Shazi Naqvi, Sharif said the affidavit correctly reflects his position that he had no concern with or involvement in any event or transaction relating to the purported obtaining of loan by Hudabiya Paper Mills Ltd and ending with its purported settlement.

About the financial statements of Flagship, Que Holdings and Quint Paddington companies from 2007 to 2012, Sharif said he had no involvement or concern with them.

He said evidence pertaining to the ‘original’ certificate regarding Capital FZE is not admissible in evidence under any provision of law. The document is totally irrelevant to the charge framed in the case and has been introduced by Zia during recording of statement with obvious ulterior motives, he added.

His answer was almost the same regarding the documents obtained through JAFZA, Dubai, pertaining to employment record as well as screenshots obtained by the JIT members from Dubai.

While answering a question about transportation of scrap machinery of Ahli Steel Mills from Dubai to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Sharif said contents of the letter of credit show that these pertained to transportation of second-hand machinery from Sharjah to KSA and not of scrap from Dubai to KSA.

“It is thus evident that the JIT members deliberately misled the Dubai authorities on this count too, and were, therefore, able to obtain a report which is inherently defective besides being inadmissible in evidence,” he stated. “I was never directly involved in any such transaction,” Sharif added.

 

COMMENTS (4)

J Kyle | 5 years ago | Reply He of zero credibility cannot call into question anyone else's credibility. It's that simple.
Khan | 5 years ago | Reply Well said Nawaz, All this is a malicious attempt to defame nawaz sharif, no evidence of corruption has been produced in the court of law in pakistan. The evidence itself speaks volumes. Wajid zia, employed his cousins law firm to do his dirty work, this in itself in any court of law is considered as conflict of interest and is bias. The truth is coming out and the whole world can see what is happening here, and above all Allah all might will judge who is telling the truth and not.
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