NAB to file supplementary reference against PML-N’s Saad Rafique

F.P. Report

LAHORE: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has decided to file another ‘supplementary’ reference against former federal minister Khawaja Saad Rafique for ‘possessing assets disproportionate to his declared sources of income’, on Tuesday.

According to details, NAB team is investigating the matter has found substantial evidence against Rafique and that millions of rupees were transferred into his bank accounts.

The reference alleged that the assets were “disproportionate to his known sources of income for which he could not reasonably account for.”

Earlier on March 4, an accountability court extended his and his brother Salman Rafique’s judicial remand till March 19 in the Paragon Housing Society scam.

Accountability judge Syed Najmul Hasan had presided over the hearing of the case in which the Khawaja brothers have been accused of embezzling nearly Rs2 billion.

A heavy contingent of police was deployed around the court to prevent party workers from disrupting law and order situation.

Meanwhile, defence counsel of Khawaja brothers angrily complained against the NAB for causing disruption in security management during the case hearings.

The court remarked that superintendent of police (SP) of headquarter was summoned and the matter would be resolved.

On February 16, the court had extended their judicial remand till March 4.

Earlier on Feb 2, the court had rejected a request made by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for another extension in the physical remand of the Khawaja brothers in the case, and sent them on 14-day judicial remand which ended on Feb 16.

In all previous hearings, the defence counsel had repeatedly maintained before the court that the details of banking transactions of the last ten years had been handed over to the NAB.

However, NAB’s prosecutor had informed the court that according to records of the Paragon Housing Society an amount of Rs2 billion was transferred to sons of Salman Rafique and Nadim Zia, and 20 plots were owned by the Khawaja brothers.

On December 11, 2018, they were detained by the accountability watchdog after the Lahore High Court (LHC) rejected their bail plea.

The NAB had launched an investigation into the alleged scam in November last year after a number of victims staged protests and held a press conference at the Lahore Press Club against what they termed the housing society’s fraud.