A special court has decided to indict PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and his sons Hamza and Suleman. The decision comes due to their alleged involvement in laundering an amount of Rs16 billion in the sugar scam case.
According to details, the court directed Shehbaz Sharif and other accused to ensure their presence for indictment. The concerned officials told that the accused may receive a sentence of seven years in jail with a fine and seizure of properties. Furthermore, in today’s hearing, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) requested the court to cancel pre-arrest bails for the PML-N leaders.
Important to note, the FIA already submitted the charge sheet against the accused. According to the prosecution of the FIA, Sharif helped his sons Hamza and Suleman Shehbaz in accumulating more assets than their declared sources of income.
Read more: Shehbaz involved in Rs25 bln money laundering through fake bank account: Farrukh
Therefore, in today’s hearing, the court issued a short order, fixing Feb 18 for framing of charges against the suspects. The court also ordered the FIA to provide copies of the challan to the suspects.
Charges against Shehbaz, Hamza
The FIA in December 2021 submitted the challan against PML-N president Shehbaz and Hamza to a special court for their alleged involvement in laundering an amount of Rs16 billion in the sugar scam case.
FIA’s investigation team detected 28 unnamed accounts of the Shehbaz family. Through the accounts, the family allegedly committed money laundering of Rs16.3bn during 2008-18. Furthermore, according to the FIA report, the FIA examined the money trail of 17,000 credit transactions.
The FIA also claimed that Shehbaz Sharif did not use the money for the sugar business. Family members used the money for their personal benefit.
Today outside at FIA office. pic.twitter.com/kd0irWF8Ry
— Hamza Shehbaz (Updates) (@HamzaUpdates) February 10, 2022
Later, talking to the media outside the court, Hamza said ousting the government of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government through constitutional means become a national duty now.
Lashing out at the government for what he called wrecking the economy, Hamza alleged Prime Minister Imran Khan had made Pakistan, a nuclear power, subservient to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Read more: Another achievement by PTI: Last condition of IMF fulfilled
He went on to add the prime minister would have to be held accountable in foreign funding and gifts cases.