Flagship case: Zia says Jafza letter not made in his presence

JIT chief says employment contract mentions Nawaz Sharif as a chairman

ISLAMABAD: During his cross-examination in connection with the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) flagship reference against former premier Nawaz Sharif, Wajid Zia has admitted that the Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority’s (Jafza) letter and employment contract were not prepared in his presence.

Zia, who headed the Panama Papers Joint Investigation Team (JIT), however, said the document he presented before the Supreme Court showed the former PM received salary from his son’s company.

“In the employment contract, Nawaz Sharif is mentioned as a chairman [of the company],” he said in response to a query of Sharif’s counsel Khawaja Haris on Monday.  Nawaz Sharif was also present in the accountability court which is hearing the case.

To a question with regard to other members of the JIT, Zia said he was unaware of inclusion of Brig Kamran Khursheed of the Military Intelligence and Irfan Mangi of the NAB in the JIT at the time of its formation.

Haris said: “You had said during the Avenfield case hearing that an inquiry was under way against Irfan Mangi on the orders of the Supreme Court”. Zia replied that he does not remember he ever said this.

To a question, he said he did not record statement of the JIT members who received Jafza letter. “The letter and the contract were not prepared in my presence and Nawaz Sharif’s designation on the contract is mentioned as chairman,” he added.

Judge Arshad Malik asked if Sharif’s engagement with the company could be considered as an employment. Haris replied that accepting employment was a different matter.

Zia accepted that on the document, Nawaz Sharif’s name was written in a different manner. “With the screen shot we cannot [say] that the name is written wrong. If the screen is in front of you and you click on it, the whole name appears.”

Haris asked him if he was a computer expert. Zia replied that computer is a large field and he could not term himself an expert though he had passed a course in computing from Holland.

Haris asked him if he ever obtained a certificate from Jafza that Sharif received salary. Zia said the document he presented shows that salary was taken. Later the hearing was postponed on the request of the JIT chief. Haris will resume cross examination of Zia today.