ISLAMABAD: The NAB launched another high level inquiry against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif over money laundering allegations on the complaint of senior investigative journalist, Asad Kharal.
The spokesperson for NAB said Kharal recorded his statement before the bureau and submitted relevant record to NAB investigators.
According to the spokesperson, the complainant provided details about alleged money laundering by Sharif and his family members.
Sharif and his family members have been facing similar charges in the references made under the Panama Papers case and being tried in the Accountability Court in Islamabad.
The fresh complaint said Khaista Khan and Jamshed Khan, Hawala/Hundi dealers from Peshawar, were engaged by the Sharif family to siphon off large amounts of funds through their bank accounts.
It said according to the testimony of Khaista Khan and Jamshed Khan before NAB, the Sharif family illegally sent funds converted into foreign currencies abroad regularly.
The complaint said Khalid Siraj, a first cousin and business partner of Mr Sharif, had disclosed in a statement recorded before the Federal Investigation Agency in the Panama Papers case, the Sharif family’s misdeeds, including transfer of funds aboard and purchase of assets in foreign countries.
“Between 1988 and 1991, Rs56.896 million was sent out of the country,” the complaint said.
According to the complaint, Mr Siraj said initially Rs140m was transferred to the Bank of Oman in Sharjah from Pakistan through Hawala/Hundi. Later, the amount was credited to the Shamrock Consulting Corporation through the Allied Bank’s London Stock Exchange branch. The amount was used allegedly in the purchase of the Park Lane apartment during 1993-96.
The complaint said the World Bank and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime had jointly initiated a report for stolen asset recovery, implicating Mr Sharif vide case no. 147, and found him liable under Article 17 and 23 of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, of which Pakistan was also signatory.
It is worthy to mention here that Supreme Court also took notice on complaint of Asad Kharal published in Customs Today about Rs1000 billion illegal clearances through green channel facility at ports of the country. After the notice taken by the CJP, the court associate sent the copy to the NAB for necessary action in this regard.
