LHC rejects Hamza’s bail plea in illegal assets case

Notes it has not been informed about sources of PML-N leader’s income

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday dismissed bail plea of Punjab Assembly Leader of Opposition Hamza Shehbaz who is accused of money laundering and possessing assets beyond means.
A two-member bench headed by Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi and comprising Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem issued the order. Last week, an LHC division bench had granted bail to the PML-N leader in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case.

Both the money laundering and the Ramzan Sugar Mills cases were filed by the country’s top accountability watchdog, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), which arrested Hamza on June 11, 2019.

On Tuesday, Hamza’s lawyer Salman Aslam Butt told the court that his client was arrested on charges of money laundering despite the fact that the Anti-Money Laundering Act did not apply on him.
He said all the amounts were received by Hamza before the enactment of the act.

“The first anti-money laundering ordinance was introduced in 2007, but it lapsed after 90 days. The second ordinance was promulgated in 2009 and the act was passed in 2010,” he said.

Butt claimed that NAB could not look into the money-laundering issue as per Section 5 of the NAB Ordinance. “NAB chairman also does not have the authority to issue the arrest warrants [in such cases].”

He said if NAB wanted to investigate into such a matter, it would have to appoint an investigation officer, who could probe and issue the arrest warrants. “However, all steps were taken against the law in Hamza’s case,” he added.



In response to a query of the bench, the NAB prosecutor said the assets owned by Hamza increased to Rs410 million in 2018. Hamza’s counsel replied that the increase took place in 15 years.

The court said it wanted to know sources from which these assets were built. The counsel should satisfy the court on this point, it added.
Butt submitted that all assets of Hamza were declared and mentioned in the tax returns.

However, the court observed that it had been claimed that Hamza received money from his father – former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif – and brother – Suleman Shehbaz.

The court should now be told how they received the money, the bench said, adding it had not been informed about the sources of Hamza's income.

Butt said Hamza never received any kickbacks or bribe. “All assets were declared,” he said.

NAB counsel said Shehbaz Sharif family owned assets worth Rs60 million in 2000, but those increased to Rs3,000 million in 2018. He stated that Hamza Shehbaz did not file tax returns from 2006 to 2008.



“Hamza's assets started to increase in 2009 and 23 different transactions took place in his account in 2009. After 2009, foreign remittances were received in accounts of Hamza's mother and brother.”

To a query, he submitted that amounts were sent from broad into account of Hamza and other family members. Co-accused has stated that their identity cards were misused in the matter, he added.

He stated that three 'benami' companies were used for money laundering and transactions worth Rs1.5 billion took place in Suleman Shehbaz's account, whereas Rabia Imran – Hamza’s sister – received Rs550 million in her account and the same amount was transferred to Hamza.

Butt objected to the claims and stated that those relatives were being named who were not nominated in the case. Subsequently, the bench after hearing detailed arguments of both parties, dismissed the post-arrest bail petition of Hamza Shehbaz.

NAB arrested Hamza Shehbaz on June 11, 2019 after he withdrew his pre-arrest bail petitions in Ramzan Sugar Mills and assets beyond means and money laundering cases. However, an LHC bench had granted post-arrest bail to Hamza in Ramzan Sugar Mills case on Feb 6.

(Additional input from APP)