Witness cross-examined in Flagship supplementary reference against Nawaz
March 05, 2018
ISLAMABAD: The accountability court hearing corruption cases against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family conducted proceedings of the Flagship supplementary reference case on Monday.
Nawaz arrived in Islamabad from Lahore earlier this morning and reached the court where he asked for an exemption from appearance owing to his ill health.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders Tariq Fatemi and Amir Muqam had reached the Federal Judicial Complex earlier to welcome their leader.
After the court allowed Nawaz to skip today's proceedings, Nawaz's counsel Khawaja Haris completed his cross-examination of witness Abdul Hannan, who had recorded his statements at the last hearing.
The hearing was later adjourned until March 7, when the court will also hear the Al Azizia supplementary reference.
During the hearing, the witness failed to satisfy the court regarding the veracity of the documents submitted as the land registry documents did not have any signature or official stamp.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed three interim 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 bureau recently filed supplementary references in all three cases as well.
At the last hearing on March 2, when the court heard all three references, three witnesses recorded their statements in the Flagship and Al Azizia references.
The corruption cases
The corruption references, filed against the Sharif family, pertain to the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment, offshore companies including Flagship Investment Ltd, and Avenfield properties of London.
Nawaz and sons Hussain and Hasan are accused in all three references whereas his daughter Maryam and son-in-law MNA Capt (retd) Safdar are accused in the Avenfield reference only.
In the Al Azizia and Flagship supplementary references, submitted in court on February 14, NAB had included eight new witnesses, as well as new evidence, including details of offshore companies of Hasan and Hussain.
The two brothers, based abroad, have been absconding since the proceedings began last year and were declared proclaimed offenders by the court.
