Pak probe company FIA seeks arrests of PM Shehbaz Sharif, son in cash laundering case

Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency, which is probing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son and Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz in a multi-billion-rupee cash laundering case, on Saturday requested the court docket to permit their arrest for additional investigation.

The court docket, nonetheless, prolonged their pre-arrest bail till June 11.

The FIA additionally filed an interim investigation report towards the premier and different suspects within the Rs 14 billion (USD 75 million) cash laundering case towards them.

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Shehbaz and Hamza appeared earlier than the Special Court amidst excessive safety.

“An FIA prosecutor submitted an interim investigation report in the court and sought arrest of prime suspects Prime Minister Shehbaz and Punjab Chief Minister Hamza — arguing that their custody is needed for further probe in the case as they have not joined the investigation and cooperated with investigators,” a court docket official instructed PTI.

The prime minister’s counsel Advocate Amjad Pervez strongly objected to the FIA’s plea and termed it a “false assertion of the agency”.

He stated that the FIA had already investigated the daddy and the son after they have been in jail in Lahore.

He stated that his shoppers had not solely joined the investigation after they have been in jail but additionally appeared earlier than the investigators on the FIA workplace.

“The case is pending for the last one-and-a-half-year and investigation against Shehbaz and Hamza by the FIA has been completed,” Pervez argued.

He additional stated that this case has been politically motivated which was instituted by the earlier authorities of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf with just one goal to ship them behind bars.

In the listening to final week, Shehbaz had instructed the court docket: “What to talk about money laundering allegations against me, I never received salary and other perks when I was chief minister of Punjab for 10 years or so. God has made me the prime minister of this country. This case of money laundering has been instituted against me and my sons on political grounds as money laundering charges against us have no basis and evidence.”

Presiding choose Ijaz Awan reissued the arrest warrant for the premier’s different son Suleman Shehbaz within the case and adjourned the listening to until June 11. Suleman has been absconding within the UK since 2019.

Ousted prime minister Imran Khan had questioned the presence of Suleman within the delegation of Shehbaz that referred to as on the Turkish president this week in Ankara.

Shehbaz and his sons Hamza and Suleman have been booked by the FIA in November 2020 beneath numerous sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Anti Money Laundering Act.

The FIA investigation has stated that it has detected 28 benami accounts, allegedly of the Shehbaz household, by which an quantity of 14 billion Pakistani Rupees was laundered from 2008 to 2018.

The FIA examined the cash path of 17,000 credit score transactions.

The quantity was saved in “hidden accounts” and given to Shehbaz in his private capability, in response to the costs.

Imran, since his ouster as premier, has been focusing on Shehbaz questioning as how an individual going through cash laundering costs can turn out to be the prime minister.

He calls Shehbaz “Crime Minister” and vows to proceed his battle to ship what he phrases “imported government” residence.

He has additionally blamed the US for ending his authorities after he selected to go to Russia towards its want.