LHC grants bail to Fawad Hassan Fawad in assets case

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday granted bail to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s principal secretary Fawad Hasan Fawad in assets beyond means case against surety bonds of Rs 10 million.

A division bench comprising Justice Muhammad Tariq Abbasi and Justice Chaudhry Mushtaq Ahmad heard the post-arrest bail petition filed by Fawad. As the proceedings resumed, Fawad’s counsel argued that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested his client in 2018, but still he was not indicted in the case.

It was claimed that at the time of the arrest Fawad owned assets of billions of rupees but assets worth Rs 108 million only were mentioned in the reference, the counsel submitted. Earlier, it was alleged that the petitioner possessed many properties, but details of the properties were not made part of the reference, he added. He submitted that the bail was dismissed earlier by an LHC bench as the matter was under investigation but now the reference had been filed. He contended that all allegations against his client proved baseless and pleaded with the court to grant bail to the petitioner.

However, the NAB prosecutor opposed the plea, saying the accused owned benami properties which were in the name of his relatives. Justice Abbasi questioned why the bureau did not arrest three benami co-accused in the case. It was alleged at the time of arrest that Fawad had 14 bank accounts, then why those were not made part of the reference, he asked.

In response to a court query about stance adopted by Fawad’s wife during investigation, the NAB prosecutor submitted that Fawad’s wife stated that she was a housewife, while the plaza shown as his property was owned by a company.

The court also asked the NAB prosecutor about the stance adopted by Fawad’s brother. “Had any relative said that Fawad owned the property,” the court questioned. To which, the NAB prosecutor submitted that no one made such a statement. At this, the bench expressed annoyance, observing that the bureau had arrested one who owned nothing. Subsequently, the bench granted bail to Fawad and directed him to submit surety bonds worth Rs 10 million.

The petitioner had submitted that he had been behind the bars for the last 15 months and his health had also deteriorated during detention. He stated the bureau had alleged that he owned a plaza in Rawalpindi valued at Rs 5 billion and bank accounts, but it could not produce a single evidence so far. In fact, the plaza was owned by a company of his brother and other family members, he added.

He pleaded with the court for his release on bail as the trial had not been completed for over 15 months of his arrest and detention in jail on judicial remand.

It was the second petition filed by Fawad for post-arrest bail in the assets beyond means case. On February 14, 2019, the LHC had granted bail to Fawad in Ashiana-e-Iqbal case, but denied him bail in the assets case.

Reacting to Fawad’s bail, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML N) President described the former premier’s principal secretary as an honest, competent and intelligent person. “Such kind of patriotic officials are asset of the country,” he said.