Ramzan Sugar Mills case: Hamza to appear before NAB today

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case today.

A NAB team will likely quiz him about allegations with regard to causing a Rs213 million loss to the national kitty through construction of a 10-kilometre-long drain in Chiniot primarily to benefit his sugar mill.

Last week, the bureau’s combined investigation team (CIT) had grilled Hamza for about three hours on money laundering charges against him. He reached the NAB office at Thokar Niaz Baig along with his family spokesperson and lawyer Attaullah Tarar.

According to sources, Hamza failed to give satisfactory answer to any of the bureau’s queries.

Earlier, on April 9, an accountability court in Lahore had indicted Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif and his son Hamza in the Ramzan Sugar Mills reference.

The father-son duo is currently on bail in the reference. Both were awarded bails by the Lahore High Court (LHC).

The NAB has filed a reference accusing former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, his son Hamza Shahbaz and others for causing losses to the national exchequer and misusing authority by sanctioning construction of a bridge to facilitate the sugar mills.

NAB officials say Shahbaz Sharif, being chief minister of Punjab, misused his authority by issuing directives for the construction of a 10-kilometre-long drain in Chiniot primarily to benefit the sugar mills owned by his sons. Shahbaz and Hamza have been accused of fraudulently causing a Rs 213 million loss to the national exchequer.