PTI Founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have been indicted in the £190 million scandal reference in a hearing held by the Islamabad accountability court in Adiala Jail on Tuesday.
The court has now sought five witnesses in the next hearing. Accountability Court judge Nasir Javed Rana held the hearing and announced the verdict.
Both accused refuse charges levelled against them by the prosecution.
However, two applications submitted by Imran Khan have been approved. The PTI founder had sought permission to have a checkup conducted from a dentist as well as a general physician of his choice.
Must Read: £190m scandal: Report says Imran Khan met Malik Riaz at PM House before settlement
The hearing was adjourned till March 6.
Alarming revelations have come forth in the investigation report of the 190 million-pound scam case against former prime minister Imran Khan and others.
The record of correspondence with the UK's National Crime Agency, held by the Asset Recovery Unit of the previous government, has disappeared. The report also confirms Malik Riaz's meeting with former prime minister Imran Khan along with the former accountability adviser Shahzad Akbar before the settlement of 190 million pounds.
As per the PM House records, the meeting was held on July 11, 2019.
The report states that the missing record was held by Shahzad Akbar and Ziaul Mustafa Naseem. The record was owned by the state of Pakistan, and disappeared to cover up the illicit activities.
The records were made to disappear to hamper the investigation in the case, the report said, adding that the Cabinet Division had conducted an inquiry into the missing records.
The report further says that Shahzad Akbar and Ziaul Mustafa Naseem have been held responsible for the loss of the records.
The correspondence with the British NCA was confirmed by Asset Recovery Unit Secretary Manzoor Kayani, according to the investigation report. The unit had written letters to Usman Ahmed, the country manager of the NCA.
Also Read: Court issues arrest warrants against Malik Riaz, Shahzad Akbar in 190m pound reference
In the first two letters, the NCA was informed of the 1 Hyde Park, London property and money laundering investigations. After the letters, the NCA froze the UK bank accounts, the report said.
A third letter dated April 18, 2019, offered surprising explanations to the NCA, as per the report. On Shahzad Akbar's instructions, the NCA was told that Ali Malik Riaz had declared 1 Hyde Park, London property and paid taxes according to Pakistani law.
The NCA was told that no action could now be taken on the property in Pakistan, according to the investigation report. The British crimes agency has been given an impression that no investigation was underway against Bahria Town.
The former accountability adviser had already submitted the "Deed of Confidentiality" to the NCA on November 6, 2019, before the cabinet’s approval, the report said further. Shahzad Akbar brought the summary to the Prime Minister's House for the cabinet’s approval “by hand”, the report claimed.
No record of the summary’s collection existed, as per the report.
On Monday, an accountability court in Islamabad issued non-bailable arrest warrants against the former prime minister’s accountability adviser, Mirza Shahzad Akbar, property tycoon Malik Riaz and four others in the 190 million-pound scandal reference.
The warrants were also issued for Ziaul Mustafa Naseem, former minister Zulfi Bukhari, Ahmed Ali Riaz, and Farhat Shehzadi alias Farah Gogi.
On Dec 2, a civil court in Islamabad declared ex-SAPM Akbar the “proclaimed offender” in the embezzlement case. The charges of fraud and other offences had been filed against Akbar at the Secretariat Police Station in Islamabad.
Judge Ahmed Shahzad Gondal declared Akbar “proclaimed offender” for persistent non-appearance.
