*ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has traced evidenceagainst Hamza Shehbaz and his brother Salman Shehbaz, sons of former chiefminister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif, in money laundering and accumulation ofassets beyond known sources of income.*
The investigators obtained ample evidence during probe, showing hugetransfer of money through telegraphic transfer (TT), or telex transfer thatis used to refer to an electronic means of transferring money.
Sources privy to the matter informed that Hamza Shehbaz, before hiselevation as the member National Assembly, had been receiving TT regularlyto his name. The NAB sources said telegraphic transfers ceased to takeplace in the Hamza’s account after he became the member of the Lower Houseof the Parliament.
It is learnt that transactions then started to transfer in the account ofSalman Shehbaz subsequently. Sources informed that Salman kept gettingheavy amount through frontmen from abroad. The main operators, asinvestigators call them front-men, including Mushtaq Cheeni sent money viaUAE and UK channels.
The investigators found that Hamza Shehbaz received 23 TTs from abroad, andprobe officers managed to obtain proofs of 18 of the TTs received by thePML-N leader.
The sources said Hamza got the first TT of $1,65,000 on June 26, 2001 intohis private bank account. A man named Mehboob Ali was the sender.
According to sources, the second and third TTs were sent to Hamza Shehbazon July 2, 2007 and July 6, 2007, respectively, through different senders.However, the channel was same – FX Currency.
Investigation sources said the third TT was sent to Hamza at his home inLahore.
Sources revealed that the first TT was sent by Mehboob Ali, second by AzizHaroon, third by Muhammad Rafique, fourth by Uzair Haroon and fifth also byMehboob Ali.
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It is learnt that TTs were sent to the PML-N leader at his home, bankaccounts mostly.
According to investigation sources, the TTs started arriving to the accountof Salman Shehbaz in 2008 after Hamza Shehbaz became the MNA. Thetelegraphic transfers continued to be received by Salman until 2017.
Sources said Salman Shehbaz made ninety nine percent of his assets through200 TTs he received between 2008 and 2017.
The first TT was sent to Salman by a man named Manzoor Ahmed whotransferred $1,60,000 to him. Manzoor used to send huge chunk of money toHamza with a purpose of investment.
He made use of the same money exchanger twice to transfer money to SalmanShehbaz.
Sources further informed that Salman received Rs 8.9 million on February10, 2014.
