*ISLAMABAD*: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday took a new turnover the London Flat money trail.
He denied ownership of the London properties, saying he was not privy toany transactions for the acquisition of the flats.
Nawaz and his family members are facing three references — Avenfieldproperties, Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment Co — filed by the NationalAccountability Bureau (NAB) under the directives of the Supreme Court inits July 28, 2017, Panama Papers judgement.
The PML-N supremo, his daughter Maryam, and son-in-law Captain (r) MuhammadSafdar, have been asked to record final statements in their defence in thereferences under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code and to produce,on record, anything contradicting the statements of the 19 prosecutionwitnesses in the case.
Accountability Judge Muhammad Bashir had prepared a questionnaire of 128questions and handed it over to the counsel representing the Sharif familyon May 16. According to the questionnaire, the court has asked Nawaz if hewas the *benami* owner of Nescoll and Nielsen, the two offshore companiesthat were shown as having ownership of the Avenfield flats.
Testifying before the court on Monday, Nawaz said, “I was never involved inor associated with the acquisition of the London properties through anyreal or beneficial title.”
Regarding the money trail of the London properties, Nawaz said, “I havenever been a participant in or eyewitness to any of the transactionsmentioned in Tariq Shafi’s affidavit.”
Shafi, a relative of Nawaz, in his affidavit had claimed that he deposited12 million dirhams in cash with the Qatari ruling family following the saleof the Gulf Steel Mills in 1980.
In the affidavit dated Jan 20, 2017, which was also part of the concisestatement submitted by Nawaz’s son Hussain Nawaz, Shafi stated that he haddeposited the money with Sheikh Fahad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al-Thani ofQatar, after receiving each installment from Mohammad Abdullah Kayed Ahli.
During his testimony, Nawaz said that he could not say anything about thedocuments his son Hussain had submitted in the apex court with regard tothe London apartments.