ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday filed a supplementary reference against ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the accountability court, which is hearing three corruption references against him and his family members. The supplementary reference filed against Nawaz Sharif and four others in the Avenfield property case has fresh evidence along with seven new prosecution witnesses, two of them from the UK. NAB’s prosecutor apprised the court that initial statements of the witnesses based in the United Kingdom have been recorded. He said one of the witnesses belongs to a private television channel, whereas two others are NAB’s employees. He said forensic expert Robert Radley and a close relative of the head of Panama case joint investigative team Wajid Zia will be the witnesses in the case. Two other witnesses are affiliated with the information ministry. The court was also told that excerpts of TV interviews of Nawaz Sharif, Maryam, Hasan and Hussain are also part of the evidence. The ousted premier and his sons Hassan and Hussain Nawaz are facing three graft references pertaining to the Al-Azizia Steel Mills, Hill Metals Establishment, London (Avenfield) properties and over a dozen offshore companies, including Flagship Investment Ltd. Whereas, Maryam Nawaz and her husband Captain (r) Safdar are facing only the Avenfield property reference. The Supreme Court in its July 28, 2017, verdict in the Panama Papers case had disqualified Nawaz Sharif as prime minister and directed NAB to file three corruption references against him and his children and told the accountability court to wrap up the proceedings within six months. Published in Daily Times, January 23rd 2018.