Hamza jailed on judicial remand
National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif also appeared before the court in the mentioned case
Hamza Shehbaz. PHOTO: EXPRESS
LAHORE:
An accountability court on Friday sent Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Hamza Shahbaz to jail on a 14-day judicial remand in the Ramzan Sugar Mills Case. Meanwhile, National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif also appeared before the court in the mentioned case.
The NAB prosecutor asked for an extension of Hamza’s physical remand, stating that few suspects in the case were not cooperating with the bureau. He said that suspects Ikramul Haq and Javed Ahmad still had interrogated, while Hamza had to remain in custody for further investigations. He claimed that Hamza Shehbaz was also not cooperating with NAB.
However, defence counsel Amjad Pervaiz opposed NAB’s plea and claimed that the employees of Ramzan Sugar Mills were cooperating with NAB. He said that the suspects had appeared before the bureau and there was no need for investigations when the reference has been filed and the accused person indicted.
Shehbaz Sharif also spoke on the occasion. He clarified that he was not involved in any sort of corruption. “Rather, I facilitated public,” the former chief minister claimed. Talking about the case, He said that prices of sugarcane have been reduced in Sindh and mill-owners in Punjab were pressuring producers follow suit.
Shehbaz said he did not yield to the pressure and nor did he lower the prices, despite his family being involved in the business and suffering a loss of billions of the sake of public welfare. He said that charges of corruption against had amounted to Rs220 and that too for building a drain.
The court, after hearing the arguments from both sides, sent Hamza on a 14-day judicial remand. It is worth mentioning that Hamza was already on physical remand in NAB custody for assets accumulated beyond known means and money-laundering cases.
Hamza, while speaking to the media persons in court, said this was the season of arrests and court appearances. The PA opposition leader said he prayed for the welfare of the country as the situation was getting worse by the day. “The tsunami of inflation is hitting the nation,” he reiterated.
Commenting on Rana Sanaullah’s arrest, he said the entire episode was a joke. “The nation is laughing at the matter.” He added that the opposition stood united with the public, especially at a time when their lives had been turned into a living hell. Hamza said he pitied Prime Minister Imran Khan who was being influenced by “jealousy and fear”.
After attending proceedings at the accountability court, former CM Shehbaz Sharrif appeared before a NAB investigations team at the bureau’s complex in Thokar Niaz Beg for investigations in assets accumulated beyond known means of income and money laundering cases. He was questioned for more than an hour-and-a-half about the details of his family properties, assets and records.
They asked about different transactions, including one involving Rs110 million, made in 2009. It is expected that he will be issued resummons in the case.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 6th, 2019.
An accountability court on Friday sent Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Hamza Shahbaz to jail on a 14-day judicial remand in the Ramzan Sugar Mills Case. Meanwhile, National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif also appeared before the court in the mentioned case.
The NAB prosecutor asked for an extension of Hamza’s physical remand, stating that few suspects in the case were not cooperating with the bureau. He said that suspects Ikramul Haq and Javed Ahmad still had interrogated, while Hamza had to remain in custody for further investigations. He claimed that Hamza Shehbaz was also not cooperating with NAB.
However, defence counsel Amjad Pervaiz opposed NAB’s plea and claimed that the employees of Ramzan Sugar Mills were cooperating with NAB. He said that the suspects had appeared before the bureau and there was no need for investigations when the reference has been filed and the accused person indicted.
Shehbaz Sharif also spoke on the occasion. He clarified that he was not involved in any sort of corruption. “Rather, I facilitated public,” the former chief minister claimed. Talking about the case, He said that prices of sugarcane have been reduced in Sindh and mill-owners in Punjab were pressuring producers follow suit.
Shehbaz said he did not yield to the pressure and nor did he lower the prices, despite his family being involved in the business and suffering a loss of billions of the sake of public welfare. He said that charges of corruption against had amounted to Rs220 and that too for building a drain.
The court, after hearing the arguments from both sides, sent Hamza on a 14-day judicial remand. It is worth mentioning that Hamza was already on physical remand in NAB custody for assets accumulated beyond known means and money-laundering cases.
Hamza, while speaking to the media persons in court, said this was the season of arrests and court appearances. The PA opposition leader said he prayed for the welfare of the country as the situation was getting worse by the day. “The tsunami of inflation is hitting the nation,” he reiterated.
Commenting on Rana Sanaullah’s arrest, he said the entire episode was a joke. “The nation is laughing at the matter.” He added that the opposition stood united with the public, especially at a time when their lives had been turned into a living hell. Hamza said he pitied Prime Minister Imran Khan who was being influenced by “jealousy and fear”.
After attending proceedings at the accountability court, former CM Shehbaz Sharrif appeared before a NAB investigations team at the bureau’s complex in Thokar Niaz Beg for investigations in assets accumulated beyond known means of income and money laundering cases. He was questioned for more than an hour-and-a-half about the details of his family properties, assets and records.
They asked about different transactions, including one involving Rs110 million, made in 2009. It is expected that he will be issued resummons in the case.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 6th, 2019.