Showing posts with label BUREAU. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BUREAU. Show all posts

Wednesday, 3 January 2018

Ousted Pak PM Nawaz Sharif appears before anti-graft court to face trial

File Photo: AP|PTI

Pakistan's ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday appeared before an anti-graft court to face trial in corruption cases against him in the Panama Papers scandal that forced him to resign.

Sharif, 67, reached the court along with his daughter Maryam.

The former premier, who had left for Saudi Arabia on December 30 amid reports of a "deal" between the embattled Sharif family, returned to the country yesterday.

Three corruption cases were registered against him on September 8 following the Supreme Court verdict of July 28 that also disqualified Sharif as the prime minister and ordered National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for institution of cases.

The NAB produced two witnesses on the court today who recorded their statements and defence layer also cross-examined them.

The three cases pertain to the Al-Azizia Steel Mills, several companies including Flagship Investment Ltd, and London's Avenfield properties.

Sharif and some of his family members are facing charges relating to their overseas properties.

Last hearing of the case was held on December 19.

So far 10 witnesses have recorded their statement on behalf of the prosecution. This was the 11th time that Sharif has attended the hearing.

The political future of Sharif, who leads the country's most powerful political family and the ruling PML-N party, has been hanging in balance since then. If convicted, Sharif can be jailed.

Sharifs family alleges that the cases are politically motivated.
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Tuesday, 19 September 2017

Pakistan anti-graft court indicts ex-PM Ashraf, 8 others in hiring scam

Pakistan's former PM, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf

An accountability court in Pakistan on Tuesday indicted former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and eight others in a case related to illegal recruitment in the Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco).

According to the National Accountability Bureau, Ashraf recruited as many as 437 people without taking merit into consideration.

The court has summoned witnesses to record their statements. Ashraf while speaking to the media rejected all charges filed by the NAB, Geo TV reported.

Along with the Gepco scam, Ashraf was already indicted by another accountability court in Islamabad in the rental power case. All accused, including the former federal mister for water and power, pleaded not guilty.

Ashraf is accused of misusing his authority during his tenure as minister to get approval from the Economic Coordination Committee for an increase in the down payment to the rental power companies from 7 per cent to 14 per cent, amounting to about Rs 22 billion.
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