Court orders NAB to file reference against Hamza soon

LAHORE: An accountability court Wednesday directed the NAB to file reference against Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz an accused of assets beyond means and alleged money-laundering.

Hamza’s counsel argued that NAB is investigating the matter for more than a year but failed in concluding the investigation. The court after hearing both the parties directed the NAB to file reference as soon as possible and extended judicial remand of Hamza till July 28.

It is pertinent to mention that more than a year has passed in this investigation of money-laundering and assets beyond means against Shahbaz family but the NAB has failed in concluding it and filing a reference in the accountability court. The jail authorities produced Hamza before the court in strict security. As the hearing commenced, the judge inquired the NAB’s prosecutor about the update on reference. To which, the prosecutor informed the court that the Bureau is collecting record in this connection. The prosecutor alleged that Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, who is a co-accused in this investigation, is not cooperating with the Bureau’s investigators.

According to NAB investigation, the NAB had issued orders to freeze 23 properties belonging to the former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif and his sons Hamza and Salman over the allegation that they acquired assets beyond their means and committed money-laundering.

According to the accountability bureau, an investigation against Shahbaz, Hamza, Salman and others for the offence of “corruption and corrupt practices” had revealed that Shahbaz had acquired properties in the name of his wives Nusrat Shahbaz and Tehmina Durrani. Among the properties frozen are nine plots in Lahore’s Johar Town, four in Judicial Colony, two houses in Model Town and as many houses in DHA.

Furthermore, the Bureau has frozen a cottage and a villa in Pir Sohawa and two more plots in Chiniot.

The NAB concluded that Shahbaz and his sons Hamza and Salman acquired assets beyond their known sources of income and allegedly committed money-laundering.

In May, the NAB had forwarded a Rs7 billion money- laundering and assets beyond means reference against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif and their family members including Hamza to the NAB chairman for approval to be filed in an accountability court.