ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Company (FIA) has cleared Suleman Shehbaz of all costs within the extremely publicised $16 billion cash laundering case, claiming there was a scarcity of proof in opposition to the prime minister’s son.
After 4 years in London in self-imposed exile, Shahbaz, one of many two sons of Shahbaz Sharif, returned residence in December “to face investigation” within the case which started in 2018, his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) social gathering stated.
The scandal involving members of his household, beforehand the prime minister as nicely, is being probed by the company whereas the Nationwide Accountability Bureau (NAB) has nominated him in a separate wealth reference.
He had beforehand been declared a proclaimed offender in each investigations over his extended absence.
Shehbaz was represented by his lawyer Amjad Parvez within the listening to, which befell in Lahore’s particular courtroom. The company, which comes beneath the inside ministry headed by a PML-N loyalist, submitted a problem to the courtroom, stating that after “months of investigation”, they had been unable to seek out any proof linking the suspect to the case.
Because of its submission, Shehbaz and one other co-accused, Tahir Naqvi, withdrew their bail functions.
The listening to has been adjourned till February 4.
This isn’t the primary time that the Sharif household has been cleared of costs on this case. A particular courtroom in Lahore acquitted each Sharif and his elder son, Hamza Shehbaz, a number of months in the past.
The FIA had initially booked the three beneath numerous sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Anti-Cash Laundering Act again in November 2020.
THE CASE
The cash laundering reference primarily accused Sharif of being a beneficiary of property held within the title of his relations and benamidars, who had no sources to accumulate such property.
It stated the members and benamidars of his household acquired pretend overseas remittances of billions of their private financial institution accounts. Along with these remittances, the bureau stated, billions of rupees had been laundered by the use of overseas pay orders, which had been deposited within the private financial institution accounts of Sharif’s two sons.
The reference additional stated the Sharif household didn’t justify the sources of funds used for the acquisition of property.
It claimed the suspects dedicated offences of corruption and corrupt practices as envisaged beneath the provisions of the Nationwide Accountability Ordinance, 1999, and cash laundering as delineated within the Anti-Cash Laundering Act, 2010.