How Hamza Shehbaz and Salman Shehbaz laundered billions through telegraphic transfer

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has traced incontestable evidence against Hamza Shehbaz and his brother Salman Shehbaz, sons of former chief minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif, in money laundering and accumulation of assets beyond known sources of income, sources told ARY News.

The investigators obtained ample evidence during probe, showing huge transfer of money through telegraphic transfer (TT), or telex transfer that is used to refer to an electronic means of transferring money.

Sources privy to the matter informed that Hamza Shehbaz, before his elevation as the member National Assembly, had been receiving TT regularly to his name. The NAB sources said telegraphic transfers ceased to take place in the Hamza’s account after he became the member of the Lower House of the Parliament.

It is learnt that transactions then started to transfer in the account of Salman Shehbaz subsequently. Sources informed that Salman kept getting heavy amount through frontmen from abroad. The main operators, as investigators call them front-men, including Mushtaq Cheeni sent money via UAE and UK channels.

The investigators found that Hamza Shehbaz received 23 TTs from abroad, and probe officers managed to obtain proofs of 18 of the TTs received by the PML-N leader.

The sources said Hamza got the first TT of $1,65,000 on June 26, 2001 into his private bank account. A man named Mehboob Ali was the sender.

According to sources, the second and third TTs were sent to Hamza Shehbaz on July 2, 2007 and July 6, 2007, respectively, through different senders. However, the channel was same – FX Currency.

Investigation sources said the third TT was sent to Hamza at his home in Lahore.

Read: Aamir Abbas terms case against Hamza Shehbaz ‘a perfect case of kickbacks’

Sources revealed that the first TT was sent by Mehboob Ali, second by Aziz Haroon, third by Muhammad Rafique, fourth by Uzair Haroon and fifth also by Mehboob Ali.

It is learnt that TTs were sent to the PML-N leader at his home, bank accounts mostly and

‘Business moves to Salman Shehbaz’

According to investigation sources, the TTs started arriving to the account of Salman Shehbaz in 2008 after Hamza Shehbaz became the MNA. The telegraphic transfers continued to be received by Salman until 2017.

Sources said Salman Shehbaz made ninety nine percent of his assets through 200 TTs he received between 2008 and 2017.

The first TT was sent to Salman by a man named Manzoor Ahmed who transferred $1,60,000 to him. Manzoor used to send huge chunk of money to Hamza with a purpose of investment.

He made use of the same money exchanger twice to transfer money to Salman Shehbaz.

Sources further informed that Salman received Rs 8.9 million on February 10, 2014.