Graft hearing against Nawaz, Maryam adjourned till tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court here on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of corruption cases against ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law retired Captain Safdar till tomorrow (Wednesday).

Judge Muhammad Bashir put off the hearing owing to the absence of the Sharif family’s lead counsel, Khawaja Harris.

Sharif, his daughter and son-in-law appeared before the accountability court amid tight security and left immediately after it adjourned the cases.

The court was to record today the statements of five more witnesses against Sharif and members of his family in three references filed against them by the NAB in compliance with the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict.

At the previous hearing, the court rejected objections raised on a supplementary reference filed against the ruling family in the Avenfield properties case.

The bureau filed the reference after obtaining additional evidence about the Avenfield flats under the mutual legal assistance (MLA).

Khawaja Harris, the Sharifs’ lawyer, while objecting to the reference, said there was no need to file a supplementary reference against his clients. The new information and evidence obtained under the MLA would have been made part of the case with the court’s approval, he added.

According to the reference, Sharif is the actual owner of the London properties, which he had bought in the name of his children.

It alleges Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz and son Hussain Nawaz provided fake documents to a joint investigation team appointed to probe the ruling family’s wealth with regard to the flats in a pricey London neighbhourhood.

The reference states that the Sharifs failed to provide the money trail behind the purchase of the Avenfield flats and the Trust Deed between Maryam and Hussain presented to the JIT found to be fake.

Naming Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz, sons – Hussain and Hasan – and son-in-law Captain (retd) Safdar as accused in the reference, it maintains they have committed corruption, which is punishable act under Section 10 of the National Accountability Ordinance.

It further says that an investigation against, Tariq Shafi, former premier’s cousin, Saeed Ahmed, President National Bank of Pakistan, Javed Kayani and Mosa Ghani was also underway.

The supplementary reference included seven witnesses, including expert of the Radley Forensic Document Laboratory in London, Robert W. Radley and solicitor.

TV interviews of the former premier, Maryam, Hasan and Hussain have also been made a part of the evidence.