News about alleged ‘acquittal’ of Shebaz Sharif is incorrect: SAPM Akbar

Advisor to Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar said that the news about the alleged ‘acquittal’ of Shebaz Sharif or his son Suleiman Shabaz run by one news channel is incorrect and misreporting.

In a series of Tweets, the advisor said that the investigation by the NCA against Suleiman Shabaz and some of his family members was not initiated at the request of ARU or NAB.

He said, “It was a result of a suspicious transaction reported by a bank to NCA. Certain funds transferred by Suleiman Shabaz from Pakistan to the UK in 2019 were declared as suspicious transactions by the UK authorities &NCA secured an asset freezing order(AFO) from the court against these funds.”

“However recently NCA decided to stop investigating these funds and therefore agreed to release these funds through court. It is clarified that such a release order is not an acknowledgement that funds are from a legitimate source.”

“It is clarified that there is no acquittal of any sort as reported as there was no trial! funds were frozen by NCA and NCA has decided to not investigate these funds anymore.”

“Suleiman Shabaz remains a fugitive in a money laundering case against him and his father before AC LHR.”

Note that, a British court has acquitted Shahbaz Sharif and his family and also ordered the restoration of frozen accounts and assets due to lack of evidence in corruption and money laundering cases.

The British National Crime Agency has submitted an investigation report of the frozen bank accounts of Shahbaz Sharif and his son Suleiman Sharif in Westminster Court.

The report said that there was no evidence of money laundering, corruption and criminal activity in the bank accounts of Shehbaz Sharif and his family.

The British agency had launched an investigation at the request of the government of Pakistan, the NAB and the Asset Recovery Unit, and the report said the 21-month investigation examined 20 years of financial affairs.

During the investigation, the accounts of Shehbaz Sharif and the Sharif family in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates were also investigated.

It should be noted that the East Recovery Unit had provided evidence against Shahbaz Sharif and his family after which the National Crime Agency had launched an investigation.

The bank accounts of Shehbaz Sharif and Suleiman Shahbaz were frozen in December 2019 on a court order.

After the British court’s decision Shehbaz Sharif took to Twitter and wrote, “I bow my head before Allah in all humility & with feelings of profound gratitude. Today’s decision by the UK court is not just my or Nawaz Sharif’s vindication but that of Pakistan too. Certainly, truth has greater power than all the lies, fabricated stories & character assassination!”