NAB summons SECP commissioner, chairman in CSM case

LAHORE: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore has summoned commissioner, chairman and commission secretariat Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) for investigations in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.

Tahir Mahmood has been asked to appear before an investigation team on September 27, 2019 at NAB Complex, Thokar Niaz Baig Lahore.

The notification issued on September 19 read, “The inquiry has revealed that you are in possession of information/evidence, whatsoever, pertaining to alleged money laundering in M/s Chaudhary Sugar Mills Limited (CSML) which was investigated by the SECP”.

NAB has been investigating Sharif family members including Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Hamza Shahbaz, Maryam Safdar and others over charges of money laundering and possession of assets beyond means.

Court acquits former PSM chief of corruption charges

Maryam Nawaz and her cousin Yousuf Abbas were arrested by the anti-graft watchdog in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) case on August 8, 2019.

She was present at the Kot Lakhpat jail on her weekly visit to her father along with her daughter and Yousuf Abbas, son of the late Abbas Sharif, when a NAB team accompanied by policewomen reportedly entered the prison cell and showed her and her cousin their arrest warrants.

The PML-N vice-president was supposed to appear before an investigation team of NAB but instead submitted a written statement seeking more time for submission of response that prompted the anti-graft buster to arrest her.

In her reply, Maryam stated that she had furnished all the information she had during her appearance on July 31, 2019 and had requested for ‘reasonable’ time to trace the requisite record.
Later, NAB acquired her and her cousin Yousuf Abbas’s arrest warrants and took them into custody.

Earlier, the anti-graft watchdog had questioned Maryam about her shares in the company and the ‘suspicious’ transactions carried out especially with the foreigners. Maryam replied that she had no knowledge of the above.

A questionnaire seeking details and justification for the purchase of shares with foreign nationals, five telegraphic transfers (TTs) and ownership of 1496 kanals 12 marlas of land besides her shareholdings in Chaudhry Sugar Mills Limited (CSML) was also presented to her.
Other members of the family including former premier Nawaz Sharif are also being investigated in the case.