ISLAMABAD The owner of Haris Steel Mills and main accused in the Rs9 billion Bank of Punjab loan scam disclosed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday that he had 'bought' a whole lot of 'worthy' people in order to get a favourable verdict and get out of the country.
Sheikh Mohammad Afzal informed a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan and Justice Tariq Parvez that he had paid Rs35 million to federal minister Dr Babar Awan, Rs10 million to former adviser and senior counsel Sharifuddin Pirzada, Rs20 million to former attorney general Malik Mohammad Qayyum and Rs7.5 million to Ali Waseem, son of Advocate Waseem Sajjad, to get the verdict in his favour.
He said he had paid Rs400-500 million as bribe to ex-BoP president Hamesh Khan, Rs30 million to the bank's control risk manager Aziz Ahmed, Rs50 million to Haroon Aziz, Rs10 million to Shoaib Qureshi, Rs40 million to the bank's treasury head Saleem Mirza and Rs5 million to Fazeel Asghar to help him escape the country because his name was on the exit control list.
Sheikh Afzal, who was recently arrested by the International Police (Interpol) in Malaysia, along with his son Sheikh Haris, tendered an apology stating that he had been misguided by certain elements and advised not to appear before the court.
At the last hearing, the court had ordered confiscation of his property after duly publicising it in newspapers.
Sheikh Afzal said he was ready to settle legitimate claims of the bank, but requested that his family members, including his wife who was in the custody of NAB and sons Haris and Hamza, should not be harassed.
The court ordered the National Accountability Bureau not to harass any member of his family.
Director Law of the Federal Investigation Agency Azam Khan submitted a report praising measures taken to get Hamesh Khan extradited form the US.
The Justice Department in Washington has already received necessary documents but has not yet responded.
The court praised the FIA for its efforts to bring back fugitives and said 'The success made by the FIA should be used as a precedent in future by the NAB and other law-enforcement agencies to bring back to the country people who, after the committing offences and plundering nation's wealth, feel that they will be safe out of the country and amount looted by them will not be refundable.'
NAB prosecutor general Dr Danshwar Malik and Khawaja Haris, the counsel for Bank of Punjab, also appeared before the court which ordered that the names of all accused be placed on the ECL.
Advocate Waseem Sajjad, the counsel for Seth Nisar, brother of Sheikh Afzal, said his client was ready to surrender but sought protection. The court ordered the authorities not to arrest him.
According to NAB record, the loan sanctioned by the Bank of Punjab to Haris Steel Industries, Ali Ejaz of Haider Steel Industries and Waris Malik of Prime Steel Industries swelled to Rs9 billion after inclusion of interest.
The loan was approved against a collateral of Rs11 billion whereas the actual worth of property shown as collateral was Rs40 million.
