LAHORE:Adviser to Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar on Thursday came up with “evidence of systematic money laundering” of around Rs22 billion through benami accounts by Shehbaz Sharif and his son Salman Shehbaz.

Speaking at a press conference at chief minister’s secretariat, Mr Akbar said the Rs22 billion money laundering had been detected during forensic audit of Al-Azizia and Ramzan sugar mills for the last one decade.

He claimed that only Rs3bn seemed related to the sugar business, while the remaining huge amounts were collected from contractors and businessmen to offer patronage to their illegal businesses or simple extortion.

Mr Akbar stated that the Sharif family had also established a parallel banking system so that the ‘ill-gotten’ money could be channelised in banking system and convert it into white money.

Complaining that Shehbaz Sharif had not replied to his several questions [asked off and on], Mr Akbar put up three more queries.

Says Rs22bn laundered through benami accounts

The adviser asked Mr Sharif whether he knew Masroor Anwar and Shoaib Qamar, who were his family’s ‘cash boys’ and involved in transaction of billions of rupees? Both [cash boys] were now in the NAB custody, he added.Mr Akbar also asked Mr Sharif to explain from where he arranged funds to purchase four flats in London. He also asked about the source of income of his family members, who were living in London.

Referring to allegations of fixing cameras in his prison cell and washroom, Mr Akbar said Mr Sharif and his cronies’ mental status vividly explain that they knew that their all black and ill-gotten money had been identified. “This new evidence of ill-gotten money and its laundering is just a gateway to expose the Sharif family’s businesses. Let’s see what more evidence will come after the forensic audit of the Sharif family’s entire business.”

Explaining the Rs22bn money laundering, the adviser said the amount was laundered through the low-salaried employees of the sugar mills.

Mr Akbar said bank accounts were opened on the CNICs of 12 low-paid employees and over Rs15bn were laundered abroad, while Rs7bn were laundered through fake companies.

Giving details of such accounts, Mr Akbar said some Rs3.7bn were laundered through the account of a peon Malik Maqsood during 2016 and 2017 and added Maqsood managed his escape from Pakistan in 2018 and now his red-warrants had been issued.

In the account of Ramzan Sugar Mills’ peon Muhammad Aslam, he said, some Rs2.3bn were deposited during 2014-17. Similarly, in clerk Azhar Abbas’ account Rs1.67bn were deposited during 2011-14; in clerk Ghulam Shabbar’s account Rs1.57bn were parked during 2012-14. In the bank accounts of accounts clerks Khizar Hayat, Iqrar Husain and Muhammad Anwar, Rs1.42bn, Rs1.18bn and Rs880 million were deposited during 2010 and 2015.

Giving details of more such bank accounts, Mr Akbar said Rs562m were deposited in the bank account of sales manager Tauqeeruddin Aslam; Rs512m in the account of data entry operator Tanvirul Haq; Rs461m in the account of Ramzan Sugar Mill accounts clerk Kashif Majeed and Rs425m in the account of peon Gulzar Ahmad Khan.

“The Sharif family continued operating Gulzar Ahmad Khan’s account till 2017 though he had died on Feb 7, 2015,” Mr Akbar stated.

The adviser stated that Sharif family’s trusted ‘cash boy’ Masroor Anwar, who was in NAB custody, had Rs230m in his account.

“These low-paid employees’ bank accounts were operated by Salman Shehbaz and Sharif family’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Muhammad Usman, who too was in NAB custody,” Mr Akbar added.

Mr Akbar said a man had also given his confessional statement that he had himself given a [huge amount] cheque to Shehbaz Sharif at his chief minister office.

The PM’s adviser also gave details of six fake front companies that were neither registered with the SECP nor FBR but their bank accounts were opened on their letter heads. A company Al-Fakhri Trade in the name of Haji Naeem Fakhri, a furniture vendor in Chiniot, had Rs2.8bn in his account; Waris Trader in the name of Ramzan Sugar Mill peon Muhammad Waris had Rs1.32bn in its account; Akbar Trader owned by Syed Akbar, whose ID card was fake, had Rs1.24bn. Similarly, Rashid Trader owned by Rashid Bashir, Jami Enterprises owned by Zafar Ali and TNA Trader owned by Tauqeeruddn Aslam had in their accounts Rs998m, Rs558m and Rs145m transactions, respectively.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2020