- Nawaz, Maryam seek exemption
ISLAMABAD, June 7: An accountability court resumed Thursday hearing National Accountability Bureau Deputy Prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi concluding arguments in the Avenfield reference against the Sharif family on third consecutive hearing.
Former prime minister Nawaz and his family members are facing three corruption references in the accountability court – Avenfield Properties, Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Flagship Investments – in which they are accused of money laundering, tax evasion and hiding offshore assets.
Abbasi remarked that Nawaz and his family hid their ownership through offshore companies. “Nawaz Sharif is the actual owner of the
London flats,” he said, adding that there are no records to show that bearers shares were transferred from Prince Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al-Thani to Hussain Nawaz.
Regardless, the Joint Investigation Team, which was formed to probe Nawaz’s assets following apex court verdict, tried to record the statement of the Qatari prince. The NAB prosecutor denied the allegations that the Qatari prince was threatened.
Earlier in the hearing, Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz had sought five-day exemption from appearance before accountability in the three references against the Sharif family. Nawaz and Maryam filed petitions seeking exemption from June 11 to June 15. The petition states that both want to travel to London to meet the ailing wife of Nawaz, Kulsoom Nawaz. The new medical report of Kulsoom Nawaz has also been attached with the petition.
The court has reserved the verdict on exemption pleas filed by Nawaz and daughter.-Agencies
