Shahbaz Sharif claims nothing to try to to with sugar mill investments
PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif. File photo
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-N President Shahbaz Sharif told the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) personnel at Kot Lakhpat Jail on Dec 18, 2020 that he had nothing to try to to together with his family’s business/ investment links to the Ramzan Sugar Mills (RSM).
“I had neither been a director/ share-holder nor had I ever drawn any salary or dividends from the Ramzan Sugar Mills Ltd.
“I believe the allegations within the FIR are forged and concocted. The concoction is analogous to the concoction made by NAB [National Accountability Bureau] within the fake TTs/money laundering reference, presently under trial during a NAB court,” Shahbaz stated in response to a question , posed by the FIA team.
The statement apparently contradicted Shahbaz Sharif’s assets declaration, submitted to the committee of Pakistan (ECP), wherein he stated that he had 6,400,000 [6.4 million] shares within the RSML, which got by his relations .
The investigation team, in its question, said: “[The] FIA has credible evidence that over Rs25 billion [identified so far] were deposited (including gratifications from sources extraneous to sugar-business) opened and operated within the name of low-wage employees of Ramzan Sugar Mills Ltd/ Al-Arabia Sugar Mills Ltd/ fake companies.
“Have you in any way been aware about any of the transactions deposited into/ received from these accounts by or on your behalf? If no, then how, for instance , the cheques (worth Rs5mn) received by you from Aurangzeb Butt, ended up being deposited within the account of Guizar A Khan (deceased), a peon of the RSML?”
On now , Shahbaz Sharif said, “As far as specific response to the present or the other question is required, I'll give that response after consulting my counsel/ legal team at an appropriate time.”
The FIA team further claimed that it had credible information that gratifications in cash were received on Shahbaz Sharif’s behalf by Suleman Shahbaz in bulk-cash.
Being the top of family (spouse & children), was it not your responsibility to ascertain why your family-owned businesses/ assets were engaged in an organised spree of money-laundering and consequently your family was amassing wealth (pecuniary resources) beyond known sources of income, suppressing the due diligence mechanisms of the financial institutions, while you furthermore may held the office as chief minister Punjab (2008-2018), the FIA team asked Shahbaz Sharif.
In his response, the PML-N president told the FIA team: "I pride oneself in telling this investigation team and need to form it a part of record that in my service as a chief servant of the people of Punjab for 10 years (2008-2018), I worked tirelessly along side my team and saved many billions of rupees publicly spending beyond the decision of my duty and over and above the need of PPRA rules or the other prevalent law."
Similarly, Hamza Shahbaz informed the FIA that he had no direct interaction with the workers of the RSML and ASML or the transactions conducted by these employees. Hamza Shahbaz told the FIA team that he had been involved in politics for quite a decade. “The business was practically being travel by my younger brother Suleman Shahbaz and that i was merely the CEO [chief executive officer] on paper.
“I haven't been involved and had no knowledge of the book keeping of the corporate ,” he informed the team.
To an issue about huge transactions and deposit in various accounts of the RSML and other companies within the name of 1 Rizwan Qureshi, Hamza said, “I know Rizwan Qureshi, but I never authorised him to conduct any transactions on my behalf.
“I, however, am sure that investigation will never be ready to find one penny of corruption of kickbacks within the stated transactions of Rs25 billion or otherwise, as my father has always guided me to remain faraway from corruption.” About alleged hawala/ hundi transactions, he said he wasn't conscious of it.
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