Avenfield case: IHC allows video recording of UK-based witnesses

ISLAMABAD: A two-member bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) dismissed on Thursday former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law MNA Capt (retd) Safdar's plea to dismiss the accountability court's order allowing the recording of statements of two witnesses via video link in the Avenfield case.

On February 2, the accountability court conducting corruption proceedings against Nawaz and his family approved the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) plea to record statements of two UK-based witnesses via video link as part of the supplementary reference filed by NAB in the Avenfield case.

On Wednesday, Maryam and Safdar had challenged the accountability court's decision in the IHC pleading that it be nullified. Nawaz filed a similar plea today which was taken up the same day by the IHC. 

Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, announcing their decision dismissing the plea to nullify the lower court's order, ruled that the counsels of the petitioners should be present in the Pakistan High Commission in London when the statements are being recorded via video link.

Moreover, the judges ruled that the defendants should not attempt to delay proceedings by seeking adjournment on the day the witnesses are to record their statements. 

NAB filed three corruption references against the Sharif family in September last year in light of the Supreme Court's July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case. The references pertain to the Al-Azizia Steel Mills, offshore companies including Flagship Investment Ltd, and Avenfield properties of London.

In the Avenfield case, wherein Nawaz, Maryam and Safdar stand accused, NAB had submitted on January 22 a supplementary reference revealing new evidence and witnesses — including two UK-based individuals.

The counsels for Nawaz and Maryam had opposed the supplementary reference but the court allowed it.

Supplementary Avenfield reference

On January 22, NAB filed in the accountability court a supplementary reference against Nawaz and four others in the Avenfield case.

NAB informed the judge that the new supplementary reference which has fresh pieces of evidence against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader includes seven new prosecution witnesses, including two from the United Kingdom.

Forensic expert Robert Radley and a close relative of Panama case Joint Investigative Team head Federal Investigation Agency Additional Director Wajid Zia, Akhtar Raja, will be witnesses in the case, while two other witnesses are affiliated with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

NAB informed that it has taken the initial statement from the witnesses based in the UK.

The apex anti-corruption watchdog said that one of the witnesses belongs to a private media channel, while two others work under NAB.

Moreover, it also informed the court that excerpts of TV interviews of Nawaz, Maryam, Hasan and Hussain are part of the fresh evidence.