Hamza’s judicial remand extended by 13 days

LAHORE: An accountability court on Friday extended the judicial remand of PML-N leader Hamza Shahbaz by 13 days in an assets beyond means and money-laundering case.

The authorities didn’t produce Hamza before Accountability Court Judge Amjad Nazeer Chaudhry due to the coronavirus situation. The NAB again failed to submit a reference after which the court directed the NAB to submit the reference as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the court adjourned the hearing of the Ramzan Sugar mills case in which Hamza and his father former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif are accused. The indictment of Hamza in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case was due for Friday but it couldn’t take place as the jail authorities didn’t produce him before the court. In this case, advocate Nawaz appeared on behalf of Shahbaz Sharif and marked his attendance.

The same court also adjourned the hearing of the Aashiana Iqbal case after former principal secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad marked his attendance. The court adjourned the hearing of all the three cases for April 23.

As per the reference, the NAB has accused Shahbaz Sharif of misuse of authority in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case. Hamza has been charged in the case for being the chief executive of the Ramzan Sugar Mills to get constructed a drain facilitating his mill out of the public money in Chiniot. Then chief minister Shahbaz Sharif allegedly approved an amount of Rs 210 million for the construction of the drain. It has been learnt that the NAB could file another reference against Hamza and Shahbaz related to the construction of a bridge to allegedly facilitate the Ramzan Sugar Mills. Earlier, the NAB had grilled Suleman Shahbaz, but he left for the United Kingdom and never returned to join investigations.