Chaudhry Sugar Mills case: AC orders filing complete reference against Shehbaz Sharif

LAHORE: An accountability court in Lahore directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file a complete reference against the former chief minister of Punjab and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case, ARY News reported.

The accountability court’s judge Amjad Nazeer Chaudhry resumed the hearing of the case where the Shehbaz Sharif’s counsel presented a medical certificate of his client. The lawyer said that Shehbaz Sharif was not able to attend the hearing due to backache.

After the submission of the medical certificate, the court accepted the plea for his exemption from personal appearance in the hearing.

The judge directed the NAB authorities to a complete reference against the politician. It may be noted here that Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz have been indicted in the sugar mills’ case over charges of construction nullah and bridge on expenses of the national treasury.

Read: NAB team to visit Shehbaz Sharif’s house for interrogation: sources

Later, the hearing was adjourned till November 12.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) stalwart, Hamza Shehbaz Sharif’s judicial remand has been extended in the ongoing assets beyond means inquiry against the accuse. The leader of the opposition in Punjab Assembly will now face court proceedings on November 13.

Background

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Hamza Shehbaz and Yousaf Abbas are 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.

Read: NAB team interrogates Nawaz Sharif in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case

During the probe, it was revealed that a $15 million loan was taken on the pretext to set up the Chaudhry Sugar mills 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.