PM Shehbaz, son to be indicted on Sept 7

FIA says Rs16b laundered through 28 benami accounts linked to Shehbaz family

LAHORE:

A special central court judge on Saturday summoned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former chief minister Hamza Shehbaz on September 7 for framing charges in the Rs16 billion money laundering case.

As the proceedings commenced, the accused persons’ counsel submitted applications on behalf of his clients which sought exemption from appearance before the court on medical grounds.

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Amjad Pervez apprised the court that Premier Shehbaz’s health was not good and travelling had been forbidden for him while former CM Hamza was also suffering from back-bone pain and could not appear in person.

The medical reports were also attached with the applications, according to the counsel.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) prosecutor did not oppose the applications.

Meanwhile, the criminal investigation agency also submitted the death report of deceased Malik Maqsood alias Maqsood Chaprasi before the court, contending that the report had been submitted after attestation from NADRA.

The FIA apprised the court that they had received the record of 19 bank accounts while that of others had yet to be received.

The property record of Suleman Shehbaz was submitted before the court earlier.

Earlier proceedings

The court had declared accused Suleman, PM Shehbaz’s son, and another suspect Tahir Naqvi “proclaimed offenders” in the alleged Rs16 billion money laundering case.

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The accused persons had failed to appear before the court despite several notices and hence, the arrest warrants.

The FIA had registered a case against Shehbaz, the incumbent prime minister, and his sons Hamza Shehbaz Sharif, the former Punjab CM, and Suleman Shehbaz in November 2020 under sections 419, 420, 468, 471, 34 and 109 of prevention of corruption act and r/w 3/4 of the anti-money laundering act.

Challan

The FIA in December 2021 had submitted a challan against Shehbaz and Hamza over their alleged involvement in the money laundering case.

According to the FIA investigation team, Rs16.3 billion was laundered through 28 benami accounts linked to the Shehbaz family during 2008-18.

The team that examined the money trail of 17,000 credit transactions claimed in its report that the amount was kept in hidden accounts and given to Shehbaz in a personal capacity.

The FIA alleged that the money received from the accounts of low-wage employees of Shehbaz had been transferred outside Pakistan through hundi, giving benefits to his family. “Eleven low-paid employees of the Sharif family are found guilty of involvement in money laundering.”