ISLAMABAD: The accountability court on Wednesday recorded the statements of four prosecution witnesses while hearing corruption references against ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family members.
Despite being exempted from personal appearance, Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz appeared before the court in response to the graft references filed against them by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on July 28, 2017 orders of the Supreme Court in Panama Papers case. Maryam’s husband Capt (r) Muhammad Safdar also appeared.
On the last hearing, while accepting a request, the court had granted Nawaz and Maryam an exemption of seven days and one month, respectively, from personal appearance. When judge Muhammad Bashir resumed the hearing on Wednesday, Nawaz and Maryam submitted fresh applications requesting the court to change their exemption period.
Nawaz Sharif sought exemption from personal appearance from December 5 to December 12, whereas Maryam sought exemption from personal appearance from December 5, 2017, to January 5, 2018, due to the change of her domestic plans. NAB’s prosecutor opposed both the pleas. The court, however, reserved its verdict on both the pleas, to be announced later on.
They had attained exemption on the grounds that they had to travel abroad to see ailing Kulsoom Nawaz, who is undergoing the treatment of lymphoma in the UK, besides some other domestic reasons.
Prosecution witnesses Muhammad Rasheed and Mazhar Raza Khan Bangash, who are the officials of RIAA Barker Gillette law firm UK, testified against Sharif in the Avenfield property reference.
Besides, Shahbaz Haider Chaudhry – chief financial officer of Chaudhry Sugar Mills – and Muhammad Tayyab – a bank officer – also testified against the Sharif family. Later, Khawaja Haris Ahmad, senior counsel for Nawaz Sharif, and Amjad Pervez, counsel for Maryam and Safdar, cross-examined the witnesses. Members of the Sharif family left the court just after the court completed recording of witnesses’ statements.
In his statement, Muhammad Rasheed stated that just after receiving a letter from NAB Lahore on September 5, he appeared before it’s investigator and provided him the required documents. He stated that he had no personal concern with the documents he had submitted before the NAB’s investigator.
In his statement, Mazhar Raza Khan Bangash stated that he appeared before NAB Lahore on August 30 and provided the required documents to the investigator. He stated that he was unable to advance any personal opinion on the documents he handed over to the NAB, as he was provided these documents by his company.
In his statement, Shahbaz Haider Chaudhry stated that he had recently attained the position of chief financial officer at the Chaudhry Sugar Mills. He stated that the documents presented by the NAB before the court pertaining to the Chaudhry Sugar Mills did not have his signatures, being not prepared by him.
Recording his statement, Muhammad Tayyab stated that the documents having details of five bank accounts – three of them in foreign currencies – of Nawaz Sharif were prepared and signed by him.
During the course of cross-examination, exchange of hot words took place between Khawaja Haris and NAB prosecutor Afzal Qureshi. Later, the court adjourned the hearing until November 28.
Published in Daily Times, November 23rd 2017.
