NAB team interrogates Nawaz Sharif in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case

LAHORE: A combined investigation team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has interrogated the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Nawaz Sharif had been given on 14-day physical remand to the anti-corruption watchdog by an accountability court on October 11 over charges of massive money laundering.

Sources said that Sharif has not given satisfactory answers to the 13 questions raised by the investigators. He insisted upon questioning his son Hussain as he is handling the business affairs.

The investigators questioned Sharif for the alleged money laundering of Rs410 million through the partnership of Yousuf Abbas and her daughter Maryam Nawaz.

Read: Court grants physical remand of Nawaz Sharif in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case

To this, Sharif replied that they should table the questions to the concerned persons as business is not an illegal thing.

When questioned for the transfer of shares worth Rs11 million to a foreigner, Naseer Abdullah, by the accused persons, Sharif said that the family has business connections with the person.

Sources said that the anti-corruption watchdog officials have also sought reasons for returning the transferred shares by the foreigner in 2014, to which Sharif told them again to question Hussain Nawaz.

A question was tabled before the former premier regarding the sources of loan worth $15.52 million that had been acquired for the Chaudhry Sugar Mills. Sharif refused to answer it too, saying that he is unaware of the details as the record of the loan is not present with him.

Read: Maryam Nawaz physical remand extended in Chaudhry Sugar Mills Case

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Hamza Shehbaz and Yousaf Abbas are already being investigated in the reference filed by the accountability bureau over alleged money laundering through Chaudhry Sugar Mills investigation in the month of August.

NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal had issued arrest warrants of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif on October 04.

During the probe, it was revealed that a $15 million loan was taken on the pretext to set up the mill despite the fact that it had already been established before the loan was acquired, the special assistant claimed. He had added that the loan was never transferred to Pakistan as shown by the record of the State Bank of Pakistan.

The probe stated that more than Rs7 million worth of shares were transferred to PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz in 2008 through mill’s shares, which were later transferred to Yousuf Abbas Sharif, son of the late Abbas Sharif, in 2010.