Tag National Accountability Bureau

Media 92 News
ISLAMABAD: Former president Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur appeared before an accountability court in Islamabad on Tuesday in a case pertaining to money laundering through fictitious bank accounts.

Accountability court judge Arshad Malik is hearing the case. The court has summoned 30 suspects, including Zardari, Talpur, Hussain Lawai, Anwar Majeed, AG Majeed and Adeel Shah Rashdi.

The former president had also appeared before the accountability court on April 8 – his first appearance in Islamabad’s accountability court after the case was transferred from a banking court in Karachi upon the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) appeal.

During the last hearing on April 8, two accused offered to become approvers. Kiran and Noreen – two of the 30 accused in the case – requested the court that they be allowed to testify as witnesses.

The court had directed the women to submit their written pleas before the judge and adjourned the hearing of the case.

The case
The FIA is investigating 32 people in relation to money laundering from fictitious accounts, including Zardari and Talpur. Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested in July last year in connection with the probe.

The former president’s other close aide and Omni Group chairman Anwar Majeed a close aide and Omni Group chairman and his son, Abdul Ghani, were arrested by FIA in August 2018.

Over 20 ‘benami’ accounts at some private banks were opened in 2013, 2014 and 2015 from where transactions worth billions of rupees were made, according to sources.

The amount, according to FIA sources, is said to be black money gathered from various kickbacks, commissions and bribes.

Media 92 News
LAHORE: Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz will appear before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) today (Monday).

NAB has summoned Hamza, the son of PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, today and strict security arrangements have been made ahead of his arrival.

Hamza is being probed in cases pertaining to assets beyond known sources of income, Saaf Pani case and Ramzan Sugar Mills case.

The Lahore High Court on Monday restrained NAB from arresting Hamza. NAB had carried out two successive raids on April 5 and 6 at Shehbaz’s Model Town residence to arrest Hamza.

PESHAWAR: An accountability court on Thursday indicted Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and former federal minister for communications Dr Arbab Alamgir and his wife Asma Alamgir, a former MNA.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed a reference against the couple for allegedly accumulating assets worth Rs332 million which were beyond their known sources of income.

Accountability court Judge Muhammad Ishtiaq heard the case against Dr Arbar and Asma today and indicted them after the respondents concluded their arguments. The court summoned four witnesses on January 24.

Speaking to the media after the hearing, Dr Arbab said, “Our properties belong to our ancestors and have been in the family for the past 200 years.”

“I also informed NAB about the properties that are not in my name,” he added.

Further, Asma while speaking to the media termed NAB “a joke” and said, “A reference was filed against us but not against former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Pervaiz Khattak.”

Demanding that Khattak’s name be placed on the Exit Control List (ECL), Asma said, “The references that have been filed against us are incorrect as we pay taxes.”

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother, Salman Rafique, who are currently in the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) custody in connection to the Paragon Housing Society scam will be presented before an accountability court today (Saturday).

NAB officials will present the PML-N leader and his brother before the court to seek an extension in their remand. Saad is en route to Lahore from Islamabad where he was on transit remand since Thursday to attend the NA session.

Heavy contingents of police have been deployed and roads leading to the court have been blocked.

On December 11, NAB arrested the Rafique brothers after the Lahore High Court (LHC) rejected their request for an extension in their pre-arrest bail in the case pertaining to the housing society scam.
NAB allegations

Following their arrests, NAB Lahore issued a press release and stated that “accused Saad Rafique along with his benamidaar wife Ghazala Saad Rafique, brother Salman Rafique in association with Qaiser Amin Butt and Nadeem Zia established a housing project in the name of Air Avenue which was converted into a new housing project namely M/S Paragon City Pvt Limited. Record shows that M/S Paragon City is an illegal society.”

“Accused in collusion, connivance and collaboration of Qaiser Amin Butt and Nadeem Zia cheated the members of public at large and obtained illegal pecuniary benefits from the funds of said illegal housing project,” it added.

Further, it stated, “Accused is operating this illegal housing project through his associates/ co-accused persons who are collecting deposits from general public despite clear directions from LDA that this project is unapproved.”

“Accused has been and is continuously obtaining illegal/ illegitimate funds/ benefits from said project as he obtained 40 kanal plots in his own name and the name of his brother Salman Rafique.”

The press release continued, “Accused by misusing his official position continued the expansion and marketing of illegal housing project and also obtained undue benefits in the form of sale of numbers of commercial plots worth billions of rupees which were actually not owned by M/S Paragon City. Thus the buyers have been cheated through this action of corruption and corrupt practices.

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar on Thursday issued production order for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Khawaja Saad Rafique.

Rafique is in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) custody in connection to the Paragon Housing Society scam.

The PML-N leader and his brother were arrested after the Lahore High Court (LHC) rejected their request for an extension in their pre-arrest bail in the case.

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif began recording his statement during a hearing of Al-Azizia corruption reference against him on Wednesday.

Accountability court judge Muhammad Arshad Malik resumed hearing the Al-Azizia corruption reference against the former premier today.

As the hearing got underway, Judge Muhammad Arshad Malik summoned Nawaz on the rostrum where he asked the former premier if it was correct that he had held public offices. To this, Nawaz affirmed that it was indeed correct; he had served as prime minister three times, chief minister, finance minister and opposition leader.

Nawaz further said that he did not hold any public office from 1999 to 2013, and was in exile from 2000 to 2007.

Nawaz’s counsels objected to some questions listed on the questionnaire, as the former prime minister pointed out that some of the questions were based on rumours while a few others were ambiguous in nature.

During a previous hearing of the reference on October 30th, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor Wasiq Malik had informed Judge Muhammad Arshad Malik that the watchdog had completed presenting its evidence against the accused in the reference. A total of 22 witnesses were produced before the accountability court since October last year, following Nawaz’s indictment in the Al-Azizia/Hill Metal Establishment reference, he had told the court.

The accountability court has until November 17 to wrap up the remaining two corruption references – Al-Azizia and Flagship Investments – against the Sharif family. The Supreme Court had granted final extension to the court last month, after its deadline to conclude the trials against the Sharifs had ended on October 7.

ISLAMABAD:(Net News/ Media 92 News) A session of the National Assembly has been summoned at 4pm today.

Ahead of the session, Prime Minister Imran Khan has summoned a parliamentary meeting of his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

According to sources, the meeting will mull over a strategy for the opposition’s All Parties Conference (APC) and planned protest.

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, who is currently in the National Accountability Bureau’s custody, will also attend the session. On October 26, NA Speaker Asad Qaiser issued production orders for Shehbaz so that he can attend today’s National Assembly session.

Shehbaz also attended the last NA session on October 17 during which he said there is “an unholy alliance between NAB and the PTI”. Addressing the Parliament, Shehbaz also revealed the questions that he was being asked by the investigators. Delving into details regarding the Ashiana Housing Scheme, Shehbaz had said, “A NAB official told me that there are no corruption allegations against me in the housing case, but that I used my position to give the contract to former army chief General (retd) Ashfaq Parvez Kayani’s brother to please him.”

ISLAMABAD:(Net News/ Media 92 News) Former premier Nawaz Sharif on Thursday avoided answering journalist’s questions regarding Prime Minister Imran Khan’s address to the nation a day earlier.

The former prime minister appeared before an accountability in Islamabad for the hearing of National Accountability Bureau’s references against him when he was asked about Saudi Arabia’s financial deal and PM Imran’s address.

“I seldom watch TV and did not listen to his address,” Nawaz responded.

A day earlier, PM Imran conveyed to the two major opposition parties, whose leaders have been facing corruption references, that they will not be given any NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance).

Addressing the nation in order to take the people into confidence over his recent visit to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan’s political and economic situation, the prime minister vowed to continue the fight against corruption alleging that Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz wanted to get an NRO.

He stated that his government will not give any NRO to these parties. “If these two parties want to take to streets, then they should go ahead with it,” PM Imran said, promising to provide them containers for camping out.

“Get this loud and clear, there will be no NRO. I will not spare any corrupt individual,” he added.

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Monday announced that it will hear a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference against former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani after wrapping up a case against Nawaz Sharif.

Former premiers Gilani and Nawaz met at Accountability Court I as they appeared for the hearing of NAB references filed against them.

Gilani was called to the rostrum first, however, the NAB prosecutor was not present in court at the time.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader the told accountability court Judge Arshad Malik, “You can hear Mian Sb’s case first, I will wait.”

However, Judge Malik replied, “Mian Sb’s case will take the whole day.”

The court then issued a notice to NAB once again on Gilani’s petition seeking permanent exemption from appearing for hearings of the reference and announced that it will hear the case against the PPP leader after wrapping up the references against Nawaz.

The hearing of the reference against Gilani was then adjourned till November 23.
“More premiers will appear before accountability court’

Speaking to the media outside the court, Gilani said, “I have appeared before the NAB court several times before and more premiers will appear before it now.”

“Four former premiers have appeared before the courts and a fifth prime minister will also appear soon,” he added.
Ex-PM Gilani petitions for permanent exemption from appearances in NAB reference

Gilani further questioned, “I served a 10-year jail sentence and was acquitted after which I became the premier. Decisions were given in my favour, so who is answerable for the 10 years I served in prison?”
NAB reference against Gilani

In September, NAB filed a reference against Gilani pertaining to the misuse of authority.

NAB in its notification had said that former information secretary Farooq, former public information officer Saleem, Hassan Sheikhoo, Hanif and Riaz are co-accused in the case.

According to NAB, the accused ran an illegal marketing campaign for Universal Services Fund.

The national exchequer suffered a loss of Rs128 million owing to the actions of the accused, the NAB notification had further said.

(media92news)
PML-N President and Leader of the Opposition Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday addressed the National Assembly session convened on the opposition’s demands to protest his arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The PML-N president has been in custody of the NAB since Oct 5 in the Ashiyana-i-Iqbal housing scam. His production orders were issued by NA Speaker Asad Qaiser last week, after the opposition requested him to convene a session.

At the outset of his speech, Shahbaz thanked opposition parties and leaders — in particular PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

“This is the first time in history that an opposition leader was arrested without any charges in such a hasty manner,” said Shahbaz, adding he did not want to discuss the merit of the case against him. “I want to talk about the unholy alliance between PTI and NAB.”

“During the election campaign, I openly said that PTI and NAB are arm in arm.

He pointed out that only PML-N members were arrested by NAB and that his arrest came right before the by-elections. “But man imposes and God disposes,” said Shahbaz, adding that despite all efforts, PML-N members won many seats [in the by-polls] that were won by PTI previously.

Shahbaz, speaking about the references and verdicts against his brother Nawaz Sharif, said: “NAB court’s verdict [in Avenfield reference] clearly says that no corruption could be proven against Nawaz Sharif.”

“Yet, he was arrested. He came back, leaving behind his very sick wife who is no more today, to satisfy his conscience.

“We need to find answers to this. You are the custodian of this house, Mr Speaker,” said Shahbaz.

“I’m not here to argue my case, I’m not here to cry, or discuss the merit of the case,” he reiterated, but went on to narrate details of different aspects of the case.

“A NAB official told me that in the Ashiyana-i-Iqbal housing scam, there is no corruption allegations against you, but that you tried to use your political influence to pass this project on to Kamran Kayani, the younger brother of the then army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

“I told him [NAB official] that I first met Kamran Kayani in 2008, when we formed a coalition government in Punjab. Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was in power at that time.

Shahbaz recalled telling General Kayani to ask his brother Kamran to do his job properly. “General Kayani told me to cancel the contract if Kamran was not delivering.”

“Later, Kamran promised me that he wouldn’t give me a chance to complain again. However when he didn’t deliver I withdrew the contract from him. Gen Ashfaq Kiani has never complained to me about it.”