Daily Times

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Accountability Shahzad Akbar Friday unveiled five telegraphic transactions (TTs) worth Rs 66.9 million in the name of Maryam Nawaz from the Hill Metals Establishment.

Addressing a news conference here, he said all details of the TTs have been forwarded to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to produce them as additional documentary evidence in the Hill Metals case pending before the accountability court. He said almost 85 percent of the declared profit of the Hill Metals Establishment went to Nawaz Sharif, out of which 80 to 85 percent was given to Maryam as a gift. “But, these TTs were meant for the investment purpose as per the Form ‘R’, signed by Maryam Nawaz, besides there was no mention of these transactions in her tax returns,” he added.

Akbar said accused Nawaz Sharif and his sons could not give money trail of setting up the Hill Metals Establishment, adding that the joint investigation team (JIT) in its report had identified some payments to Maryam but had no details. “Now the documentary evidence is available, which has been sent to NAB for producing in the case,” he added.

The special assistant to the prime minister said this included a TT of Rs 14 million to Maryam’s MCB account in 2008, in which the purpose specified was ‘investment’. “Another TT of Rs 19 million and one more in 2016 of Rs 9.9 million from HME to her Habib Bank account in the bank’s Jati Umrah Sharif Education City branch was sent,” he revealed.

After disclosing details of the transfers, Akbar said he has written to NAB and attached the ‘evidence’ to it. He said NAB may not have seen this ‘additional documentary evidence’ before, adding that the authority can determine if there is a need for further investigation or probe into the matter. “Any next step has to be taken by NAB … we have shared evidence with them and hope that they will further investigate it,” he added.

Akbar alleged that the Sharif family made laws in the 90s which facilitated money laundering through inflow of cash without any questioning. He said everything was working out fine for the Sharif family until their names came in the Panama scandal in 2016.