Shehbaz, Hamza granted pre-arrest bail in sugar scam case

Counsel for defendants says case merely aimed at humiliating clients; judge seeks record from FIA

LAHORE:

An additional district and sessions judge on Monday granted pre-arrest bail to Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and son Hamza Shehbaz Sharif in the multi-billion sugar scam.

The FIA had earlier summoned both the leaders for an investigation on June 22.

As the proceedings commenced, the counsels for Shehbaz and Hamza implored the court that their clients had nothing to do with the case and they had been implicated by the petitioner merely to humiliate and embarrass them.

Meanwhile, Shehbaz took the rostrum and told the court that the FIA had earlier investigated him for four months in jail and that he had made it clear that he had nothing to do with the case, adding his children were independent in their matters.

He contended that the sugar mills faced a lot of loss. Now, he is at a loss to understand why he is being dragged in this matter.

The counsels prayed to the court to adjourn the proceedings till the next month in view of the budget sessions in both the national and Punjab assemblies.

Also read FIA decides not to arrest Tareen, Shehbaz

At this, the judge granted pre-arrest bail to the PML-N leaders and restrained FIA from arresting the two till the next date of hearing. The judge also issued a notice to the FIA, seeking record of the case on the next proceeding.

Earlier, the FIA sent a performa comprising 20 questions to Opposition Leader in the National Assembly and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif in Ramazan Sugar Mills and money laundering cases.

According to sources, the FIA Lahore sugar investigation team held an important meeting which mulled over the probe carried out in the sugar scam until now, reviewed information gathered from sugar hoarders and speculators and record received from the Federal Board of Revenue including different local and international banks.

The meeting finalized the questions which will be asked from Shahbaz. The 20-question performa was sent to the PML-N president through his legal adviser Atta Tarrar so that he could answer them when he appears before the FIA investigation team.