FIA to question Shahbaz, Hamza in jail

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) is all set to record statements of the PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shahbaz in an alleged money laundering case of billions of rupees in Kot Lakhpat Jail.

Shahbaz Sharif and his two sons Hamza Shahbaz and Suleman Shahbaz were booked in the Rs25 billion money laundering case under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2010 on Nov 14.

"The investigation officers of the FIA want to interrogate/record the statements of accused M Hamza Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday (today) and accused M Shahbaz Sharif on Friday (tomorrow) respectively in Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore," read a letter written to Deputy Inspector General Prisons, Lahore.

"During the course of enquiry No.T34/2020 of FIA ACC Lahore, it was revealed that total deposits amounting to over Rs25 billion (duration 2008-2018), identified so far, were received in bank accounts (hereinafter A/C) of various low-wage employees of Ramzan Sugar Mills Ltd (RSML), AI-Arabia Sugar Mills Ltd (ASML) and accounts of fake companies set up and controlled by the Sharif Group. Rs3.7 billion in 2016/l7 in accounts of a peon namely Malik Maqsood working at office of MD Suleman Shahbaz at Sharif Group's Corporate Office, Model Town Lahore," revealed FIA’s findings.

The low-wage employees of RSML/ASML have admitted during inquiry that these accounts were opened and operated for the personal/secret transactions of Suleman Shahbaz Sharif on the instructions of Muhammad Usman, CFO of Sharif Group, FIA's findings revealed. Another employee Mushtaq Cheeniwala has provided ’secret-ledgers' as a proof to show that the money from undisclosed safe of sugar deposited into these accounts is only Rs3.95 billion, implying therein that the source of remaining funds is ’extraneous’ to sugar business and can best be explained by Shahbaz Sharif and his sons and RSML/ASML officers who managed these accounts, the FIA claimed in its findings.

Vouchers, cheques and money trail of deposits into these accounts have revealed that money was being deposited by various people including politicians at various political affiliations, contractors, petroleum dealers, pharmaceutical vendors, flour and rice mills owners not related to sugar-business, the findings showed. One of the politicians has disclosed that cheques amounting to Rs14 million were given to Shahbaz Sharif, in lieu of party ticket, but does not know how those cheques got deposited into the account of Gulzar Ahmed Khan -- a deceased peon of RSML, the FIA claimed.

Suleman Shahbaz Sharif, however, denied all the allegations, saying, "These allegations are wild witch hunt and politically motivated. Frankly, I would not want to waste my time on what the FIA is doing and intends to do with me," he told The News.

The federal government formed a high-powered combined investigation team to probe an alleged financial crime of over Rs25 billion involving Sharifs. The CIT was formed by head of FIA Wajid Zia to initiate legal action against aforementioned accused and others.

Another FIA's document revealed, “(Alleged) corporate fraud by Al-Arabia Sugar Mills through GNC undisclosed (grantis) sales and accounting jugglery of reversal of sales -- inexplicable transfer of Rs1.195 billion by Al-Arabia to Ramzan Sugar Mills not disclosed in financial statements -- inexplicable transfer of Rs402 million by Al-Arabia to Sharif Feed Mills and Sharif D Farms since 2017-18."