Shahzad Akbar emerges as 'key figure' in 190m pound corruption case

ISLAMABAD: Former Adviser to Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar has emerged as a central figure in the 190 million pound corruption case against ex-premier Imran Khan, ARY News reported, citing sources.

Shahzad Akbar ‘masterminded’ an illegal scheme that caused significant financial loss to Pakistan, the sources within the investigating authority said. The former PM Adviser had signed a confidentiality agreement on November 6, 2019, under which 190 million pounds were transferred from a specific account to an account designated by the Supreme Court.

According to sources, the investigations revealed that the account was misrepresented as a State Bank account and registered in the name of the Supreme Court Registrar.

“Shahzad Akbar made visits to the UK from February 4 to 8 and May 22 to 26 in 2019, during which he held meetings with the British Home Secretary and the Director General of the National Crime Agency (NCA),” the sources said.

They added that during these visits, Shahzad Akbar devised a secret roadmap for the return of funds with NCA officials, without informing the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), or the State Bank.

“Due to his mala fide intentions, the 190 million pounds were used for the benefit of individuals rather than the state.”

Read more: PTI founder, Bushra Bibi convicted in £190m Al-Qadir Trust case

The sources added that Shahzad Akbar and Farah Gogi jointly executed the 190 million pound deal. Although Akbar signed the agreement on November 6, 2019, the cabinet was informed only on December 3, 2019. Investigations have confirmed that Akbar played a pivotal role in concealing the corrupt funds. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and other relevant authorities are actively investigating the case, with legal proceedings underway.

It is to be noted here that PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were given 14-year and seven-year jail sentences respectively by Rawalpindi accountability court Judge Nasir Javed Rana in the case, known as Al-Qadir Trust case or £190 million case.

The court also imposed fines of Rs 1 million and Rs500,000 on Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, respectively.

The accountability court also ordered to take Al-Qadir University into government custody.