£190m case: Court hands 14-page long questionnaire to Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi

RAWALPINDI: Incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi, who was recently released on bail, have been given with a 14-page questionnaire in the £190 million settlement case.

The questionnaire, which contains 79 questions related to the reference, was provided for their final statements under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1898.

Their counsel, Salman Safdar, received the questionnaire in the presence of both the accused in the last hearing. The couple was directed to submit their responses to the court on November 11 (tomorrow).

In the questionnaire — a copy of which is available with Geo News, the court asked the PTI founder whether he and his associates illegally obtained "monetary benefits" — which include land measuring 458 kanals — and, in return, facilitated the "illegal and dishonest transfer/adjustment of £171.159 million out of £190 million, meant for the State of Pakistan".

The court while citing evidence said co-accused Shahzad Akbar — former special assistant on accountability — "in-connivance and active knowledge" of Imran malafidely floated a note dated December 2, 2019, to the deposed prime minister.

Seeking his response, the court stated: "The note contained misrepresented information, implying that funds frozen in the UK were to be surrendered to the State of Pakistan, mischaracterising of land purchase agreement as a fine and knowingly misrepresented that Supreme Court account was being operated for the benefit of State of Pakistan.”

Furthermore, the accountability court said, "It is in the evidence that the jailed politician, being a prime minister, dishonestly instructed for placing the note as additional agenda without prior circulation in violation of rules of business, 1973 despite the fact that your co-accused Mirza Shahzad Akbar with your active connivance and under your influence had already dishonestly and for ulterior motive signed and submitted the confidential deed to the National Crime Agency UK on Nov 11, 2019.”

The court also sought his response regarding the December 3 cabinet meeting, in which the note was presented and Imran insisted on approving paragraph 10 of the note without allowing any discussion on the additional agenda.

"Upon your insistence and under your influence the said additional agenda was approved without deliberation. What do you say about it?"

In the November 7 hearing, lawyers for the former first couple completed the cross-examination of the last and 35th witness at Adiala jail, taking the reference conclusion to the final stage.

After cross-examination of a total of 35 witnesses in the reference, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) lawyers said that they did not want to present any further evidence.

Cross-examination of the last witness began on July 30 and continued for 20 hearings over three months. Also, Bushra Bibi’s lawyer, Usman Gul, completed the cross-examination in 14 hearings.

What is the £190 million case?

As per the charges of the case, Imran and other accused allegedly adjusted Rs50 billion — £190 million at the time — sent by Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) to the Pakistani government as part of the agreement with a property tycoon.

Subsequently, the then-prime minister got approval for the settlement with the UK crime agency from his cabinet on December 3, 2019, without disclosing the details of the confidential agreement.

It was decided that the money would be submitted to the Supreme Court on behalf of the tycoon.

According to the NAB officials, the PTI founder and his wife obtained land worth billions of rupees from the property tycoon, to build an educational institute, in return for striking a deal to give legal cover to the property tycoon’s black money received from the UK crime agency.