- NAB claims that Khawaja Asif has failed to offer the sources of his cash
- Needs to research an organization allegedly arrange by Asif with one other particular person
- PML-N chief claims he has offered all data to the authorities
LAHORE: An accountability courtroom in Lahore on Wednesday prolonged the remand of PML-N chief Khawaja Asif by 10 days on the Nationwide Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) request.
The PML-N chief was introduced earlier than the courtroom immediately on the expiry of his 14-day remand.
Throughout immediately’s listening to, the NAB prosecutor instructed the courtroom that the PML-N chief had transferred cash into an organization account which was owned by his servant.
At this, Asif’s counsel responded saying that each one the cash being talked about by NAB has been formally declared.
To this, the decide listening to the case requested NAB if a cash laundering cost was being introduced forth, and was responded to within the affirmative.
“Yes, [money laundering did happen]. He [Khawaja Asif] is not providing the details of Rs130 million sent by a foreign company,” the NAB prosecutor instructed the courtroom.
He argued that Asif ought to share the supply of these funds.
The anti-corruption watchdog additionally instructed the courtroom that they’d made a “major breakthrough” in Khawaja Asif’s case through the interrogation.
Learn extra: 48 financial institution accounts in Khawaja Asif and household’s names, says Shahzad Akbar
“Khawaja Asif had been taking a regular income from [employment in] Dubai but did not provide a bank statement,” mentioned the NAB prosecutor-general.
He added that the PML-N chief had accepted that he was withdrawing a wage however couldn’t present any supporting proof for the declare.
NAB’s counsel instructed the courtroom that the PML-N chief had additionally fashioned an organization with a person named Tariq Mir, however didn’t share the supply of the corporate’s funding. He added that Mir had deposited Rs510.17 million within the firm account.
The NAB prosecutor mentioned that Asif didn’t inform them the place the cash got here from. He additional claimed that Tariq Mir and one other man named Arshad Javed are shut associates of the previous international minister.
Upon listening to this, the courtroom requested NAB who withdrew cash from the corporate’s accounts.
To this, NAB instructed the courtroom that Tariq Mir used to make the withdrawals.
Learn extra: Khawaja Asif arrested by NAB in property past means case: PML-N
Then again, Khawaja Asif’s counsel Farooq H. Naek, arguing that his shopper was being framed in a politically motivated case, instructed the courtroom that the inquiry towards the PML-N chief had began in March 2019.
The courtroom on listening to this requested Naek who was in energy on the time, and was knowledgeable that the PTI was ruling the nation.
“Had the [Opposition’s] long march started by then?” the decide requested, sparking laughter within the courtroom.
Naek responded saying the Opposition’s agitation has simply begun. At this, the courtroom instructed the lawyer that an inquiry towards a suspect will be initiated at any time.
Naek then argued that his shopper had responded to all questions initially requested of him by NAB Rawalpindi, but his case was abruptly transferred from NAB Rawalpindi to NAB Lahore and he was arrested in haste.
He insisted {that a} political case had been fashioned towards his shopper.
The decide, after listening to arguments from either side, prolonged the PML-N chief’s remand for an additional 10 days and requested the bureau to current him once more on January 22.
Learn extra: NAB summons Khawaja Asif in housing society case
That is the second time that the PML-N chief has been despatched on remand by the accountability courtroom.
Final month, the accountability courtroom had despatched Asif on 14-day bodily remand on the Nationwide Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) request.
The remand request was put ahead by the accountability watchdog to research the PML-N chief earlier than Accountability Courtroom’s Admin Choose Jawadul Hasan.
Khawaja Asif arrested from Islamabad
The PML-N chief was arrested final month by NAB in an property past means case.
NAB had mentioned that Asif was taken into custody within the backdrop of an ongoing investigation into allegations of him possessing property past identified sources of revenue.
The PML-N chief was arrested close to PML-N normal secretary Ahsan Iqbal’s home.
The PML-N chief was at Iqbal’s home to participate in a debate on whether or not the PML-N will participate in Senate elections or not.
Asif left the assembly and was moments later arrested close to Iqbal’s residence.