The Lahore court has recently acquitted Suleman Shehbaz, son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and other accused individuals in a money laundering case.
The court had been considering the acquittal pleas filed by Suleman and the other defendants in a PKR Rs 16 billion money laundering case.
During the proceedings, the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) previously responded to 27 questions posed by the court.
The court was informed by the FIA’s lawyer that a joint investigation team (JIT) led by Dr. Rizwan conducted the money laundering inquiry.
When questioned by the court, the FIA’s investigation officer, Ali Mardan, remained silent regarding whether any written statements had been recorded from witnesses during the probe.
The court also inquired about the actions taken against individuals who had changed their stance during the investigation, to which the IO responded that no action had been taken.
The FIA’s lawyer stated that there was no direct evidence against Suleman regarding money laundering.
Additionally, the IO mentioned that the inquiry had been initiated based on the report of the sugar inquiry commission. During the probe, the FIA examined Suleman’s bank accounts but didn’t find any incriminating evidence against him.
When asked why a case had been registered against Suleman, the IO explained that money would be deposited into Suleman’s account and then withdrawn in cash.
Subsequently, the court accepted the pleas submitted by the accused and acquitted Suleman and the other defendants from the case.
It is worth noting that the FIA had accused Shehbaz Sharif and his two sons, Hamza and Suleman, of corruption and money laundering amounting to approximately Rs 16.3 billion between 2008 and 2018 through 28 bank accounts with undisclosed account holders. The charges were filed in November 2020 during the federal government’s term of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
However, Shehbaz and Hamza were acquitted of the case in October 2022.
