ISLAMABAD - The joint investigation team (JIT) on Tuesday finalised its fortnightly investigative report into the Panama Papers case to present before the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday (today).
In this regard, a JIT meeting was held at the Federal Judicial Academy (FJA) under the chair of FIA Additional DG Wajid Zia, and investigators probing the corruption and money-laundering charges against the Sharif family finalised the report.
The sources said that the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) had also submitted the record of Hudaibiya Paper Mills case including the confessional statement of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar regarding his “involvement in money laundering”.
During the meeting, the investigators also reviewed the matter related to the leaked picture of PM Sharif’s elder son Hussain Nawaz during the investigations.
They also reviewed the letter sent by Qatari Prince Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim in response to the JIT’s letter asking him to record his statement in this matter.
The JIT finalised its report in the light of its investigations from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s sons Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz, president of National Bank Saeed Ahmad, record submitted by the SECP and the letter of the Qatari Prince Sheik Hamad.
In this connection, Qatari prince had refused to appear before the investigating team saying he was “busy”.
Although Sheikh Hamad had rejected all the three options of the JIT for recording his statement, yet he had confirmed his signatures on the two letters presented before the Supreme Court during hearing of the Panama case.
Last week, the JIT had sent a second letter to Qatar’s Al-Thani family, giving them three options to record their statements.
The first option mentioned that the two JIT members could leave for Qatar to record their statements in relation to the probe.
The second option was for the royal family to send a written response to aid the investigation.
According to the third option, a statement by the Qatari family via video link could also be recorded with the JIT.
However, the sources said that the family had declined all these options.
On the last hearing of the Special Bench of Supreme Court tasked with implementation of the SC’s April 20 verdict in Panama leaks case, Justice Azmat had remarked that “if somebody does not come, then let him not come and you proceed. If Sheikh Hamad does not come then there will be no value of the Qatari letter.”
The members of the JIT include Amir Aziz of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Bilal Rasool of the SECP, Irfan Naeem Mangi of the NAB, Brig Nauman Saeed, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Brigadier Kamran Khursheed from the Military Intelligence (MI).
The apex court has mandated the JIT to probe how the Gulf Steel Mills was set up; what led to its sale; what happened to its liabilities; how did they reach Jeddah, Qatar and the UK; whether Hussain and Hassan Nawaz had the means in the early 1990s to possess and purchase the London flats; whether the sudden appearance of the letters of Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al-Thani is a myth or a reality; who, in fact, is the real and beneficial owner of the Nielsen Enterprises Ltd and Nescoll Ltd; how did Hill Metal Establishment come into existence; where did the money for Flagship Investment Ltd and other companies set up/taken over by the son of the PM come from; and where do the huge sums gifted by Hussain Nawaz to Nawaz Sharif come from.