Court accepts Nawaz’s exemption plea in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case on medical grounds

F.P. Report

LAHORE: An accountability court on Friday accepted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s plea requesting exemption from appearing before it on medical grounds in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.

During today’s proceedings, Nawaz’s lawyer Amjad Pervez submitted his latest medical reports to the accountability court.

The counsel argued that the former prime minister is still unwell and will face the trial as soon as his condition is improved.

He further told the court that Nawaz is under observation of a clinical team and at the end of February he will undergo further medial examinations.

“Nawaz cannot travel to Pakistan due to his ongoing treatment,” Pervez informed the court.

After the arguments concluded, the accountability court accepted the exemption plea and adjourned the hearing until February 28.

The LHC had granted Nawaz Sharif bail in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case on medical grounds in October, last year.

The Sharif family is accused of using the Chaudhry Sugar Mills for money-laundering and illegal transfer of its shares.

As per NAB, the bureau in January 2018 had received a Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) report describing huge suspicious transactions in billions of rupees in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills under Anti-Money Laundering Act.

It is pertinent to mention here that in January 2018, the PML-N was ruling the country. After receiving the FMU report, the NAB started its inquiry in October 2018 and found that Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Shahbaz Sharif and family and Abbas Sharif and family are shareholders in the company, along with some foreigners from the UAE and the UK.

During probe, it revealed that huge investments were made in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills from 2001 to 2017 in billions of rupees in the name of issuing shares in the name of foreigners.

Interestingly, later on, the same shares were transferred back to Maryam, Hussain and Nawaz without paying any money to the foreign business partners.