- PM Shehbaz and his son Hamza summoned for indictment in money laundering case
- The court also directed FIA to confiscate properties of Suleman Shehbaz
LAHORE: A special court(central-I) has summoned prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz on September 09 for indictment in a Rs16 billion money laundering case made by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
In its written order of hearing of July 30, the court also directed FIA to confiscate properties of Suleman Shehbaz, younger son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has been proclaimed officers (PO) in the case.
Both father and son had not appeared before the court on July 30 as their counsel submitted applications seeking exemption from appearance before the court on medical grounds.
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 had not opposed 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 informed the court that they had received the record of 19 bank accounts while that of others had yet to be received.
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.
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.”
On June 11, the court had confirmed the interim pre-arrest bail of Shehbaz and Hamza in the money laundering case.
[embedpost slug=”money-laundering-case-court-declares-salman-shehbaz-absconder/”]
