ISLAMABAD: NAB has decided to bring back accused Suleman Shahbaz from UK through INTERPOL as he has been declared a Proclaimed Offender in money Laundering case against Sharif family by Honorable Accountability Court Lahore and issued non-bailable arrest warrants against him.
NAB has also decided to request National Crime Agency UK to provide all possible assistance in this regard in deportation of Suleman Shahbaz from the UK as per law. NAB had seized the shares of the accused in 16 companies and NAB has solid evidence of money laundering of Suleman Shahbaz which will be presented before the Honorable Court as per law.
In October last year, accountability court judge Ameer Mohammad Khan had declared Suleman Shahbaz a proclaimed offender and issued his fresh non-bailable warrants on NAB’s request after the bureau informed the court that all of Suleman’s properties had already been seized as per the court’s earlier order.
During the hearing, Advocate Hafiz Asadullah Awan had, on behalf of NAB, contended that Suleman had not appeared before the accountability watchdog despite issuance of six call-up notices. He said Suleman had fled the country [to avoid NAB proceedings against him].
Submitting details of Suleman’s properties, NAB informed the court that the bureau had seized the suspect’s shares amounting to Rs2 billion in 16 companies.
According to a NAB report, it also seized cash worth Rs4.1 million held in three bank accounts as well as $4,000 in two different bank accounts of Suleman Shahbaz. Besides, NAB also seized 10 marlas agricultural land and pieces of land spreading over 209 kanals owned by Suleman.
NAB alleged that assets worth Rs3.3 billion had been identified so far as illegally accumulated by Suleman, his brother Hamza Shahbaz and their father Shahbaz Sharif. It said the whole family committed massive money laundering in the name of foreign remittances and loans.
In 2018, Suleman had appeared before NAB Lahore regarding the provision of record of his family’s property. However, he later skipped several hearings of NAB and left the country.