ISLAMBAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Monday refuted the verdict of a Swiss tribunal that ruled that a valuable jewellery, seized in connection with investigations into the SGS case, belonged to the legal heirs of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
“The piece of jewellery never belonged to Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. There is therefore no question that it does not belong to her legal heirs or to Asif Zardari. Let there be no doubt or mistake about it,” the PPP spokesperson Farhatullah Babar stated.
The set, which includes a necklace, a bracelet, a pair of earrings and a ring and is said to be valued over $180,000 was seized by authorities in connection with investigations into graft allegations.
“Any assertion that the jewellery belonged to the legal heirs of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto is based on totally wrong and incorrect assumption that it actually belonged to her,” the senator added.
The PPP spokesperson who served during the tenure of Benazir Bhutto and former president Asif Ali Zardari claimed that though he had not yet seen the so called latest ruing of the Swiss tribunal but on the basis on his association with the case from its inception to the end he could assert this confidently.
Babar recalled that on September 19, 2005 Benazir Bhutto had personally appeared before the Swiss Investigation Magistrate in Geneva and categorically denied purchasing the jewellery or ownership of Swiss companies involved in money laundering.
“After appearing before the Swiss magistrate and recording her statement Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto also addressed a press conference in Geneva denying ownership of the jewellery or Swiss companies involved in money laundering,” he said.
Babar further said in one of the hearings the owner of the jewellery shop denied having any knowledge of who Benazir Bhutto was and so stated that she did not purchase the jewellery from him.
“All this is on record and can be verified from the records of the proceedings before the Swiss magistrate and the newspapers’ archives at that time.”
The PPP stalwart also upheld that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) at that time claimed that a jewellery set had been seized from Mohtarma's safe in Geneva but later it was proven before the Magistrate that the former prime minister did not have a safe in Geneva.
“It had also been claimed at the time that Jens Schlaglemilch was the agent of Mohtarma which too was proven false as per the testimony of Schlaglemilch himself,” he added.
Babar further recalled that it was the same case which the Supreme Court of Pakistan had set aside the conviction awarded by the Trial Court in Pakistan and also passed stinging strictures against the trial judge.
“The bias [of the judge] floated on the surface of record, the SC had remarked forcing most unceremonious exit of two judges from the bench,” he said.
COMMENTS (16)
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ro imran ro not intended for his popularity to rise
Only in Pakistan the most imp cases are outsourced and govt wastes millions and decades on them. Only Pakistani govt continues to try its dead citizens in the most expensive courts/lawyers of the world. Most cases end after the death of main accuser especially if the remaining family is not even contesting the property. Pakistan should sell the jewels and stop throwing $$ on big foreign lawyers that we are for three decades with no end in sight.
pls dont add bani gaala in these stupids, IK got from his own money and we all know how much he had earned from cricket specially from county cricket and all other stupids buy any think from our tax money.@Paid commentator:
$180,000 is not a lot of money and will soon be swallowed up by legal fees.
Aaawww! No expensive jewelry for our Billo Rani... Sad.
Surry mansion, French Chateau's, Goldsmith Mansion, Raiwand and Bani Gala.... amongst many others. Now some jewellery. What else is new?
The jewelry is worth $ 300,000. Was given to Mohtarma by one of the 'ruler', of a certain kingdom/emirate. [Will remain unnamed since he is dead.] Mohtarma surreptitiously kept it in a Swiss deposit box. How she was able to get it to Switzerland, pass the Swiss customs etc. is anybody's guess. But not hard, since she traveled on private jet. With her retinue.
I would be happy to get them in my custody if Swiss And zardaris dont want to bother
If the jewelry is not claimed by anybody then why did it take more than a quarter of a century to drag it in foreign courts? In this time both Nusrat Bhutto and BB passed away and the case is still going strong. Anything which is not claimed or not contested should be decided quickly. To recover $180,000 poor Pakistani govt has wasted millions on Swiss lawyers and still not gotten anything back. I bet the case would continue in Swiss appeals for ever. How much more time and money would the govt waste on this case? Why do we have our high courts and SC if we outsource imp cases?
First they said it didn't belong top them. Then later Zardari went to Swiss court and now they renounce the ownership. Crooks have no shame
No thief will ever admit the theft. Mr Zardari will never admit his crime for $180,000. The tribunal should have recommended punishment as well.
But I can remember BB and her lecherous husband denying that they owned the Rockingham mansion in England but a few years laters the truth came out and they were the owners. The PPP are even bigger crooks than PML and the Sharifs, who themselves are massive crooks.
The Swiss tribunal has ruled on this matter. It remains to be seen whether Zardari will file an appeal to the judiciary in Switzerland.
Hmmmm nor did Surrey Palace till it was sold and Mr Zardari took the money......
People of Pakistan have much more faith on swiss judicial sytem than your words or any one's word in pakistan.
If the jewellery does not belong to BB or her heirs then the Swiss should be requested to give it to some charities in Pakistan (not to the Pakistan authorities as it will immediately be pocketed).