Assets beyond means: Hamza to remain in NAB custody for 14 more days

LAHORE: An accountability court in Lahore extended the physical remand of the Punjab Assembly’s opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz for fourteen more days in assets beyond means case, reported ARY News.

The accountability court directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to produce him before it on the next hearing scheduled for Sept 4.

A NAB prosecutor stated before the court that the bureau’s probe into the assets beyond means case against the PML-N leader is underway and demanded that his physical remand be extended as his custody was required for further interrogation.

Hamza’s lawyer, however, opposed the NAB plea. He stated the corruption watchdog has no evidence to back up its charges against his client and that his custody can’t be handed over to it on the basis of mere allegations.

He, therefore, pleaded with the judge to reject the request for remand extension.

Latetly, two suspects who have become approver in a money laundering case against Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, Hamza and other members of his family had approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) seeking their release on bail.

Shahid Rafique and Aftab Mehmood moved a bail petition in the high court through their lawyers.

Mahmood and Rafiq had earlier recorded their confessional statements before a judicial magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). They confessed to having laundered millions of dollars to Hamza Shehbaz, Salman Shehbaz, and others through telegraphic transfers (TT) from abroad.

It is noteworthy that another alleged frontman of the Sharif family, Mushtaq Cheeni, had also confessed to laundering over Rs600m for Shahbaz Sharif’s sons.