Daily Times

The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Lahore wing on Tuesday summoned Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif in its ongoing probe into the sugar scandal, a private TV channel reported.

The FIA, in the notice served to the PML-N president, said he would have to appear before the anti-corruption watchdog on June 22, and if he fails to do so, he could be sent to prison. The notice further said that Shehbaz had to answer questions about peons and other low-grade employees of the Al-Arabia Sugar Mills and Ramzan Sugar Mills receiving Rs 25 billion. “Are you aware of the deposit and withdrawal of Rs 25 billion in fake accounts associated with the Ramzan Sugar Mills, Al-Arabiya Sugar Mills, and others?” the notice asked the former chief minister.

The notice said that Shehbaz was sent a questionnaire twice but he did not respond. “You (Shehbaz) were sent a notice for the second time in January. You had said that Ata Tarar would respond on your behalf, but he never did,” the notice added.

On May 30, Prime Minister Imran Khan had approved a decisive action against owners of 38 sugar mills – a fresh move that granted permission to FIA to arrest a few millers who were already facing money laundering, sugar satta, and insider trading charges. The prime minister had advised Special Assistant on Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar to direct the FIA Lahore to submit its conclusive report on millers.

The FIA teams had claimed they have evidence against 38 sugar mills leading to illicit gains and money-laundering of around Rs110 billion. One FIR was registered over organised banking fraud to cover illicit gains from extraneous sources of over Rs25 billion from 2008-2018 through the operation of 20 bogus accounts in the name of peons/clerks of Ramzan Sugar Mills leading to allegedly money-laundering by Sharif (Shehbaz Sharif) family.