Corruption case: FIA’s Wajid Zia submits JIT report, records statement against Dar

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Additional Director Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and former head of Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on Panama case, Wajid Zia appeared before the accountability court and recorded his statement in the corruption reference against former finance minister Ishaq Dar on Monday.

Wajid Zia also submitted the volume one and nine in the court. He informed the court Supreme Court ordered to form JIT under him as FIA forwarded my name for the inclusion in JIT.

Zia also informed the court of the work they did related to the former finance minister. He added that Ishaq Dar assets were shown to be Rs 9.1 million in 1991 as per his wealth statement which is raised to Rs831.6 million in 2008-09 without showing any source of income.

Zia is a key prosecution witness in the reference against Dar, accused by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of possessing assets disproportionate to his declared sources of income.

 

As the hearing begin, Judge Mohammad Bashir asked the NAB prosecutor about the Wajid Zia because he was expected to record his statement in court today along with investigation officer Nadir Abbas,

The court was informed that Zia had been summoned and will appear soon and later the judge then adjourned the proceedings until 11:30am today to give time to the prosecution witness to appear.

At the last hearing on February 8, Zia had appeared before the accountability court. He informed the court that the JIT’s final report is not available with him as all the record was submitted to the Supreme Court.

NAB has filed the reference against Dar, a senator and key aide of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, in light of the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case.

After his indictment, Dar had been absent in the proceedings after he departed for London in October last year seeking medical treatment.