Wajid Zia records statement in Al Azizia case against Nawaz on third day
May 14, 2018
ISLAMABAD: Federal Investigation Agency Additional Director Wajid Zia resumed recording his statement in the Al Azizia reference against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif today.
Zia, who headed the Panama case Joint Investigation Team (JIT) that probed the Sharif family's assets last year, has already testified in the Avenfield properties reference.
Nawaz reached the court to appear before the Accountability Court-I Judge Mohammad Bashir for the proceedings earlier.
Before Zia began recording his statement, Nawaz was allowed to leave the courtroom.
As the hearing went under way, Zia informed the court of the JIT's correspondence with the UAE government regarding the Gulf Steel Mills.
Nawaz's counsel Khawaja Haris objected saying that court precedents state that JIT reports are unacceptable as evidence.
The hearing was later adjourned until tomorrow, when Zia is expected to conclude his testimony.
Nawaz and his family are facing three corruption cases—Al Azizia, Avenfield and Flagship— in the accountability court after NAB filed references against them in light of the Supreme Court's verdict in the Panama Papers case last year.
On Friday, Zia presented details of cheques given by the former premier to his daughter Maryam. On March 27, Nawaz gave Maryam a cheque of Rs40 million, on February 14 one of Rs5 million and a Rs37 million cheque on May 10, 2016, he stated.
On Wednesday, hearing the Avenfield reference, Judge Bashir had remarked that the decisions on all three references against the accused will be given together.
The corruption cases
The trial against the Sharif family had commenced on September 14, 2017 with a six-month deadline.
The corruption references, filed against the Sharifs, pertain to the Al-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment, offshore companies including Flagship Investment Ltd, and Avenfield properties of London.
NAB had earlier filed interim references in all three cases and later added supplementary references to them with new evidence and witnesses.
Nawaz and sons Hussain and Hasan are accused in all three references whereas his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Safdar are accused in the Avenfield reference only.
The two brothers, based abroad, have been absconding since the proceedings began last year and were declared proclaimed offenders by the court.
The court originally had a deadline of six months which ended in mid-March but was extended for two months after the judge requested the apex court.
Later, on May 9, the trial court's second plea for a deadline extension was approved by the Supreme Court which gave a month to both sides to finish the corruption cases.
