ISLAMABAD – Wajid Zia, the head of Joint Investigation team which probedthe Panama Papers Case, has claimed that the government of United ArabEmirates has invalidated the claims regarding the sale of Gulf Steel Millsshares made by the embattled Sharif family.
Appearing before the accountability court Judge, Muhammad Bashir on Monday,Zia stated that the Sharif family had claimed that they received funds assale proceeds of 25 percent shares of Ahli Steel Mills (erstwhile GulfSteel Mills).
However, he continued that such transactions were denied by the Emiratiofficials after the JIT sought their version through Mutual LegalAssistance (MLA).
‘No record regarding any transaction worth AED 12,000,000 (twelve millionDirhams) as sale proceeds of 25% shares of Ahli Steel Mills was found’stated Wajid Zia as he testified in the Alazizia steel mills reference.
He added that no record was available which indicate the notarization ofthis document in 1980.
Zia, who serves as an additional FIA director, continued that thedocuments furnished by the children of Nawaz Sharif – Hassan, Hussain andMaryam – were fake.
The official expressed that all the submitted documents pertaining to thefunds of businesses were found to be forged.
In his ‘damaging’ statement, the official declared that the detailsregarding the shifting of Ahli Steel Mill’s scrap, submitted by HussainNawaz were not based on truth.
Hussain Nawaz, in his statement before the Joint Investigation team lastyear, had claimed that the scrap was shifted through as many as 50 trucks,however, Wajid Zia maintained that Sharif’s son lied about the transport ofmachinery.
‘Tariq Shafi, the cousin of Nawaz Sharif, opened a bank account in 1986-87and obtained more loan’ added Zia.
The Alaziziz steel mills reference, filed by the National AccountabilityBureau, in the light of directives by the apex court, is among the threereferences filed against former premier Nawaz Sharif and his family members.
The other two references filed by the accountability watchdog pertain toHill Metal Establishment, offshore companies including Flagship InvestmentLtd, and Avenfield properties of London.
Nawaz Sharif and his sons Hussain and Hasan are accused in all threereferences whereas his daughter Maryam and son-in-law MNA Capt (retd)Safdar are named in the Avenfield reference only.